SU, UPLB partner for Natural Capital Accounting Roadshow

The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Community Innovations Studies Center (CISC) of the College of Public Affairs and Development, in partnership with Silliman University (SU), hosted the Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) Roadshow on November 27, 2025, at the SU Multipurpose Room.

The activity highlighted collaborative efforts to advance LGU-based Natural Capital Accounting for improved governance and management of community natural assets.

With the theme “Developing and Piloting LGU-based NCA for Improved Governance and Management of Community Natural Assets,” the roadshow featured a series of talks and reports led by the UPLB project team, headed by Agustin L. Arcenas, project leader. Team members included Lea May D.R. Aguila, Roxanne B. Bragais, Princess Diane M. Lavernez, Don Benito Rimas, and Edileen Anne E. Tamis.

Presentations covered the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Law and the history of NCA in the Philippines, an overview of the project, reports on project activities and results, and the proposed downscaled NCA framework designed specifically for local government units (LGUs).

Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, assistant to the president for Institutional Affairs, delivered the opening remarks on behalf of SU President Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann.

Villordon underscored SU’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship guided by its institutional values of Via, Veritas, Vita. She highlighted SU’s leadership in environmental research and community engagement through initiatives of the Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences, the Biology Department’s biodiversity programs, and the university’s community-based conservation and outreach efforts, which collectively support the goals of Natural Capital Accounting.

The main program included discussions on the legal and policy foundations of NCA under Republic Act No. 11995, presentations on capacity-building activities with partner LGUs, and the introduction of a standardized, downscaled NCA framework to help local governments generate consistent and policy-relevant natural capital accounts.

An open forum and synthesis session allowed participants to share insights and identify next steps for institutionalizing NCA at the local level.

Participants in the roadshow included representatives from the local government units of Bais City, Valencia, Sibulan, and Dumaguete City, as well as personnel from SU, local Tourism Offices, Agriculture Offices, and City Planning and Development Offices (CPDOs). The discussions underscored the importance of capacitating LGUs to generate, manage, and use natural capital data for planning and compliance with national policies.