CABARROGUIS, Quirino (PIA) - - The provincial government through the Philippine Association for the Intercultural Development (PAFID), Inc. has announced that the province is one of the beneficiaries of the grant on Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Project of the USAID to be implemented by the Gerry Roxas Foundation.

As an initial activity, a two-day multi-stakeholders dialogue has been conducted in collaboration with the Community Forestry Foundation-Quirino, Inc. (CFFQI) and it was attended by some People’s Organizations, Indigenous Peoples group, LGUs, national government agencies and other stakeholders.

During the two-day stakeholders dialogue, the PAFID officials presented the USAID-INSPIRE project and its core messages.

The USAID-funded project, entitled “Partnership for a Resilient Caraballo-Central Sierra Madre Bioregion,” which will be carried out in areas to be identified by the different stakeholders aims to provide an additional platform for partnerships among stakeholders towards sustainable environmental governance.

The different stakeholders also signed a pledge of support to the project activities as they acknowledged their critical role in ensuring a better environment and future for the present and succeeding generations.

Furthermore, the Department of Agrarian Reform discussed the status of Certificate of Land Ownership Award; National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, 11 Building Blocks in the Ancestral Domains in the province, best practices, challenges on resource governance and perceived solution and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, status of forestland governance.

A successful model local environmental governance was also presented San Pedro, Maddela Barangay Captain Reynald Ramos.

Nagtipunan MENRO also shared the LGU’s conservation initiatives, inspiring success stories, challenges, and areas of collaboration.

On the second and last last day, Forester Enrique Pasion, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer of Cagayan and PAFID Executive Director Dave de Vera discussed carbon accounting.

The multi-sectoral dialogue will be followed by the Bioregional Stakeholders’ Conference, Stakeholders Capacity Development and planning to prepare the province for the full implementation of the project. (MDCT/TCB/PIA Quirino)