ZAMBOANGA CITY – The World Bank-Global Environment Facility (WB-GEF) recently granted P300 million (approximately $6.351 million) to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to fund vital environmental projects in Mindanao.

The P300-million fund will be used to finance programs and projects under the Mindanao Rural Development Program on Natural Resources Management (MRDP-NRM) of the department, Carolina Figueroa-Geron, WB project team leader said.

Geron formally led the launching of the program for Mindanao in Pagadian City early this month which will cover a five-year implementing period until December 31, 2014.

The launching was also attended by top local and national government officials including members and senior officials of WB and DA.

DA Regional Executive Director for Zamboanga Peninsula Dr. Oscar Parawan thanked Geron for choosing Pagadian City as the launching site of the program.

Adding that Pagadian City is the geographical nucleus of Mindanao and equidistant to Surigao on the north and Tawi-Tawi on the south.

At least seven of the 11 sites are located in Region 9: Margosatubig and Vincenzo Sagun in Zamboanga del Sur; Mabuhay, Talusan and Olutanga in Zamboanga Sibugay; and Rizal and Sibutad in Zamboanga del Norte, which were identified as natural resources center of Mindanao.

The other four sites are in Marihatag and San Agustin in Surigao del Sur along with Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao and Lamitan in Basilan Province.

Parawan underscored that Region 9 cradles seven of the 11 identified MRDP-NRM sites in Mindanao and within the center of the coral triangle biodiversity that straddles and spans the Philippines.

Geron said Mindanao is the third hot spot next only to Brazil and Indonesia as habitat for global significant species such as the dugong, manta ray, giant clams, sea grasses and mangrove, which need to be conserved and protected.