28/08/2026
In 2017, the Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to the global effort to limit the temperature rise to 1.5ยฐC including the operationalization of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) โ a mechanism that incentivizes developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Executive Order No. 881, series of 2011 designated the DENR to lead REDD+ implementation, with the Forest Management Bureau to operationalize and implement the REDD+ action targets based on the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ (WFR) which sets out technical guidance and assessment processes for key REDD+ components.
To access Results-based Payments (RBP), four (4) key elements shall be fully established and operational, namely: a) National Strategy/ Action Plan, b) Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL), c) Safeguards Information System (SIS) and d) National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). While the REDD+ Action Plan of the Philippines has already been formulated and updated, and the country's FRL/FREL was submitted in 2023, covering the period from 2000 to 2018, there are two (2) remaining systems that need to be established to proceed in the implementation phase.
Following development and pilot testing, the Forest Management Bureau is now launching the Satellite Land Monitoring System (SLMS) and Safeguards Information System (SIS) across DENR Regional Offices. On August 26-27, 2026, a virtual national orientation was convened to familiarize DENR Regional counterparts with the functionality, key features, operational roles of the SLMS and SIS.
The orientation serves as a platform to build technical understanding, promote coordinated use of the systems, and strengthen institutional capacity for monitoring, reporting, and verification and safeguards compliance, and highlight the importance of field personnel in bolstering our efforts towards a net-zero country.