ACB Knowledge Management Division Director CE Nuevo facilitates a group discussion with representatives from the academe, government, and various non-government organisations during the KM4B Workshop for the Philippines.
To establish a national Community of Practice (CoP) for Knowledge Management for Biodiversity (KM4B) in the Philippines, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources—Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) organised the KM4B Workshop for the Philippines. The workshop was held on 15 August 2025 as a side event of the 32nd Philippine Biodiversity Symposium (PBS) at Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, Philippines.
This workshop builds on the regional workshop in March earlier this year. It supports the integration of knowledge management in the implementation of the updated Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) and the potential establishment of a Community of Practice for KM4B in the Philippines. Around 50 representatives from the academe, government, non-governmental organisations, and youth groups involved in biodiversity planning, management, and research attended the workshop.
ACB Executive Director Dr. Jerome L. Montemayor says, “We only have around five years to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF). As a technical and scientific cooperation support centre (TSCC) for Asia, the ACB remains fully committed to supporting and working with the Philippines and other ASEAN Member States to achieve KM GBF targets.”
The KM GBF has four main goals and 23 targets. Target 21 seeks to ensure that the best available data, information, and knowledge are available and accessible to inform the biodiversity actions of decision makers, practitioners, and the public. It also aims to enhance communication, raise awareness, promote education, and improve monitoring, research, and knowledge management.
Philippine DENR-BMB Ecosystems Management Specialist II Angie Lou Alcantara leads the discussion on the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan’s Approach to Target 21 of the KM GBF.
During the workshop, participants learned about the KM GBF, focusing on Target 21, the Knowledge Management Strategy, and the KM4B Initiative. The session also emphasised PBSAP’s approach to Target 21 and discussed how participants could contribute to its effective implementation.
According to the DENR-BMB, “Our updated PBSAP now includes a concrete target to improve access to biodiversity data, strengthen monitoring and research, and integrate indigenous and local knowledge, recognising that effective conservation depends on strong, inclusive, and accessible information. As we move forward, we aim to enhance collaboration among partner organisations and stakeholders, strengthen the Philippine Clearing-House Mechanism as a dynamic platform for information exchange, and build the capacity of stakeholders to generate, access and use biodiversity data in decision-making. We envision knowledge management as a collaboration tool that must remain responsive to the current needs, emerging challenges and opportunities. By nurturing a culture of knowledge sharing, we can ensure that biodiversity is nurtured, resiliency is improved, and our future is secured.
The KM4B Workshop for the Philippines became a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing among key stakeholders within the context of the regional and global KM4B initiative.
The Philippine Biodiversity Symposium
Earlier in the week, the ACB set up a week-long exhibit and participated in the Partners’ Session of the 32nd PBS. The ACB also expressed its support for the Philippines as it launched its updated PBSAP 2024-2040, along with the formal handover of the updated map of the country’s Key Biodiversity Areas.
In a statement of support delivered by ACB Knowledge Management Director CE Nuevo, the ACB welcomed the launch of the updated PBSAP and Key Biodiversity Areas and called for enhanced collaboration to implement the targets outlined in the PBSAP effectively.
Last year, the ACB launched the ASEAN Biodiversity Plan, the region’s strategy and action plan for biodiversity. This plan aims to ensure alignment with the member states’ National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and promote synergies between the global biodiversity targets and ASEAN’s vision and priorities, requiring collective regional efforts.
Former ACB Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim delivered the keynote address during the first day of the symposium.
One of the highlights of the 32nd PBS was the week-long exhibit featuring different organisations working on biodiversity conservation and restoration.
This year’s PBS focuses on “One Future: Biodiversity, Climate, and Health.” It emphasises the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, human health and the transdisciplinary strategies necessary to secure a viable future for humanity, the planet, and shared biodiversity.
Since 1992, the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines has been organising the PBS to gather local and international researchers working on Philippine biodiversity and conservation. It is a platform to share current research, encourage collaboration, and inspire young conservationists. – END
