The Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF) is a trust fund established to promote the sustained financing of the Philippines’ National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). The fund is derived from revenues generated within protected areas, donations, endowments, grants in the form of contributions, and all other income generated from the operation of the NIPAS. The IPAF consists of a Central Fund and a Sub-Fund. The Central Fund retains 75 percent of the collection and is intended to finance the operations of the protected area that generated the monies. The remaining 25 percent is remitted to the Sub-Fund, which is set aside to finance the activities of other protected areas that do not receive sufficient funds to sustain its operations. Disbursements from the Funds are made solely for the protection, maintenance, administration, and management of the NIPAS, as well as duly approved projects endorsed by the Protected Area Management Board.
An IPAF Governing Board administers the Fund and decides on fund allocation among the protected areas. The Board is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and is composed of two representatives from other concerned government agencies, two from duly accredited NGOs with a proven track record in conservation and, two from indigenous communities, To date, the total IPAF collection amounts to PhP 66,314,122 (approximately US$1,185,200), which was generated from a total of 82 protected areas.
For more information, contact Ms. Meriden Maranan at planning@pawb.gov.ph or see the case study on “Participatory Management and Monitoring of Protected Areas in the Philippines” following Guideline 41(a)
(ii).