Financing integrated coastal management: experiences in Mabini and Tingloy, Batangas, Philippines

Integrated coastal management (ICM) is increasingly seen as an effective means to manage coastal resources around the world. In 1991 the passage of the Local Government Code in the Philippines devolved coastal management responsibilities to local governments. At the time of decentralization, coastal municipalities were largely unaware of the tasks associated with managing coastal resources. Additionally, many municipalities found the financial and technical support supplied by the central government to cover these additional responsibilities insufficient. Today, local government units (LGU) struggle to adequately plan, implement, and enforce ICM related activities and legislation. These challenges are due in part to deficiencies in fiscal administration and the misaligned priorities of many LGUs and coastal communities. Several coastal zone stakeholders, from the local to the national level, were interviewed for this analysis; key-informants expressed various perceptions on the financing of ICM in Mabini and Tingloy, Batangas.