Papers by Elmer Mercado, EnP, fpiep
Philippine Country Report: Baseline Assessment on Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) - World Bank Implementation Methodology., 2024
The use and application of geospatial data and information in the Philippines has increased subst... more The use and application of geospatial data and information in the Philippines has increased substantially in recent years. Substantial systems exist in both national and local agencies involved in land administration mapping and surveying, settlement/housing and development planning; property
assessment and registration; natural resource and ecosystems management; climate resilience, and disaster risk and emergency response planning; social protection targeting, and public health surveillance and monitoring; maritime and shipping guidance and coastal protection; law
enforcement, peace and security; tourism, transportation, mobility and infrastructure development.
This baseline assessment of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in the Philippines was conducted by a World Bank team over an extended period. The team has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders from both public and private sectors. Importantly, this is the first study of its type to
specifically address the interface between marine and land geospatial domains.
The methodology is based on the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) adopted by UN member states in 2018 and updated in August 2020 by the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). The aim of the IGIF is to provide strategic guidance to enable sub-national and national-specific Actions and Investment Plans to be prepared and implemented to strengthen integrated information management relating to land and marine environments. It does this by providing a 360-degree view of the capacities and capabilities needed to strengthen geospatial information management according to three focus areas and 9 strategic pathways – (i) Governance and Institutions; (ii) Policy and Legal; (iii) Financial; (iv) Data; (v) Innovation;
(vi) Standards; (vii) Partnerships; (viii) Capacity and Education; and (ix) Communication and Engagement.
Output Paper: Lot n° 1: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Resilience Organisation and Methodology Request number: SIEA- 2018-22532 Title: TA Support to the Philippines in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction, with a focus on the ERC Flagship Initiative., 2024
Building community resilience is identified as the cornerstone of effective disaster risk managem... more Building community resilience is identified as the cornerstone of effective disaster risk management, specially in high-risk communities. community resilience-building recognizes the need to engage more accountably with affected populations and local capacities, respond more effectively and sustainably to their priorities, and thereby contribute to more effective disaster response and management. This is also current focus
of international humanitarian assistance, including the United Nations (UN), to have the greatest impact on the greatest number of people, where the priorities of affected communities drive humanitarian response.
But to do this, communities must be empowered to to take charge of their process and ensure outsiders will respect and provide, enabling support for the process and achieving community resilience. This empowerment allows the community to set its own goals and priorities, rather than having them dictated by external forces. By taking ownership of their processes, community members can create sustainable solutions that are tailored
to their specific needs and challenges. Through this self-determination, the community can build its capacity to overcome adversity and thrive in the face of future challenges. In other words, those who hold power, including groups and organizations whose objective to support and assist communities MUST disempower themselves with their defined agenda, priorities, processes and criteria where the community had no role or participation in its decision. Investing in community empowerment and prevention enhances people's resilience to shocks.
Another call is for the community to be able to feed in information to the government so the system will be responsive effectively and efficiently in saving lives, reducing damage, and even planning and taking action to address the underlying causes of disaster risk so that disaster will be avoided. This two-way communication can lead to more targeted and timely responses, as well as the implementation of preventive measures to mitigate future risks. The community's ability to contribute to the decision-making process can result in a more resilient society, better equipped to handle and recover from crises. Community-resilience agenda as the “core” based for collaboration,
This paper presents the perspective of communities on how to build resilience and improve interagency and multi sector collaboration and coordination for building community resilience.
Output Report: Lot n° 1: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Resilience Organisation and Methodology Request Number: SIEA- 2018-22532 Title: TA Support to the Philippines in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction, with a focus on the ERC Flagship Initiative., 2024
The 2023 EU Needs and Gaps Analysis of the Philippines' Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Mission rep... more The 2023 EU Needs and Gaps Analysis of the Philippines' Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Mission report highlighted challenges in effective coordination and collaboration across multiple organizations working across different disaster pillars and at the development-humanitarian-climate change/resilience nexus. The report found that the country's fragmented approach to DRRM hinders the reduction of risk to future hazards for communities affected by previous disasters. The lack of effective interagency coordination across preparedness, response, and recovery stages is attributed to the narrow mandates of individual actors and a general lack of systems thinking.
This review involved field learning and reflection praxis, engagement, validation sessions with communities and stakeholders, and in-depth interviews with other government agencies and local officials, UN organizations, INGOs, faith-based organizations, private sector/business groups, academic groups, and research groups.
The valuable insights or takeaways from the EU TAT community discussion and stakeholder learning sessions and experiences in the ERC FI pilot areas on interoperability and community resilience centers, particularly for external agents and non-community actors, of ensuring that the community’s self-determined risk-informed resilience agenda is the ‘central focus’ any internal or external form of intervention or assistance program implemented in the community. before, during, or after a disaster or emergency. Absence of such, the role and responsibility of external agencies and organizations is to facilitate and support the completion of their agenda.
Communities should be treated as a whole, not in parts, and contextualized within the enabling socio-economic and structural ecosystem they live in. And that working with the community building a long-term relationship with them and aligning objectives and results with their timeline and not within a short-term project life. The core of resilience and development programs and interagency collaboration is the community's self-determined and risk-informed resilience agenda.
Synthesis note of the updated Land Sector Development Framework (LSDF) of the Philippines that wa... more Synthesis note of the updated Land Sector Development Framework (LSDF) of the Philippines that was initially completed in 2010 and have been updated several times in 2015 and 2017. The enhanced LSDF Strategic Framework and Road Map 2019-2040 provides not only an updating of the priorities of land administration and governance in the Philippines but expands the reforms and programs to cover both private and public lands, tenure rights and claims, land conflict and disputes and resolutions, land management in public and private lands, land valuation (of public and private lands) and market development.
Discussion note on a proposed post-ECQ COVID-19 recovery and risk management plan for the local c... more Discussion note on a proposed post-ECQ COVID-19 recovery and risk management plan for the local communities/governments in the Philippines. This note identifies operational and implementation parameters on "HOW TO" local communities/governments reset themselves under a 'new normal' post-COVID and identifies suggested inputs to improve local COVID risk management, a template for preparing a post-ECQ Covid risk management plan, 'triggers' and 'criteria' for developing a local 'risk tolerance' levels for communities/LGUs to manage/respond to future COVID outbreaks and suggested categories for downscaling COVID-19 containment measures. This discussion note is relevant only in the context of the Philippines but some ideas maybe applicable to other areas as well.
Policy paper on enhancing the ongoing updating and review Philippine Land Sector Development Fram... more Policy paper on enhancing the ongoing updating and review Philippine Land Sector Development Framework 2010-2020. The paper argues that land as critical and finite resource of the country must not only be treated as a natural or economic asset but as a common patrimony that must be judiciously governed, sustainably managed and inclusively accessed by all citizens.
Proposed policy paper to address existing and potential local land conflict issues that may arise... more Proposed policy paper to address existing and potential local land conflict issues that may arise in the course of the reconstruction of the city of Marawi under the Philippine government's proposed rehabilitation plan for the city
This is a proposed 30-year strategic land sector reform framework to develop the Philippine's age... more This is a proposed 30-year strategic land sector reform framework to develop the Philippine's age-old land administration and management regimes that continued to be based on laws issued in the late 1930's. This proposed framework aims to 'upgrade' the country's land laws into the digital and internet age as well as into the growing land pressure of the country from its almost 10 million people in the 1930's with its more than 100 million population as of 2015.
This is a powerpoint presentation that was delivered during a sectoral conference on land sector ... more This is a powerpoint presentation that was delivered during a sectoral conference on land sector reform on July 2010 as a possible input to the incoming 'new' government of President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines. The recommendations remains valid six (6) years into this administration and the issues continues to deteriorate and solutions remain urgently needed.
This is a 2010 presentation made before a series of forums with micro-small- and medium enterpre... more This is a 2010 presentation made before a series of forums with micro-small- and medium enterpreneurs (MSMEs) being assisted by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) on how MSMEs in the Philippinesimprove local sustainable and eco-friendly business practices while still making them profitable.
This is overview report of the climate change adaptation-disaster risk reduction initiatives bein... more This is overview report of the climate change adaptation-disaster risk reduction initiatives being pursued in the Philippines in order to strengthen local resilience and improve early recovery from frequently recurring disasters from extreme weather events.
A case study of an upland city applying good upland agriculture, sustainable forest management an... more A case study of an upland city applying good upland agriculture, sustainable forest management and effective land tenure schemes to improve its over-all watershed management and impacts of flooding and siltation in their city.
A documentation and analysis of how the efforts by the municipality of Nabunturan, Compostela Val... more A documentation and analysis of how the efforts by the municipality of Nabunturan, Compostela Valley in Souther Mindanao in rehabilitating its degraded upland areas have contributed to improvement in its over-all economy and well-being of its citizens.
This is a case study of the heritage city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and how its local governments and ... more This is a case study of the heritage city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and how its local governments and community stakeholders applied good environmental governance, community spirit and sense of cultural identity in order to preserve its centuries old city streets.
This presentation identifies the context and issues in the existing public land regime in the Phi... more This presentation identifies the context and issues in the existing public land regime in the Philippines that the proposed BangsaMoro Land Autonomy provision will have to confront in its approval and implementation as part of the Framework Agreement that was forged between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in December 2013 ending more 4-decades of fighting in Mindanao, Southern Philippines.
This is a guidebook prepared in a toolkit format as a reference to ensure integration of environm... more This is a guidebook prepared in a toolkit format as a reference to ensure integration of environmental sustainability and safeguard into CIDA supported projects in the Philippines. It provides guides, 'how to's' and practical templates to integrate environmental considerations and impacts in the project development and implementation cycle.
A review and evaluation of the different public land management regimes and approaches being impl... more A review and evaluation of the different public land management regimes and approaches being implemented in the Philippines. The paper looks into the overlaps and conflicting tenurial land management policies and jurisdiction that has resulted to continuing land conflicts among different stakeholders and interest groups, specially among marginal communites, upland dweller and indigenous peoples in the Philippines as well as public and private land rights interests. The paper presents a broad strategy and approach with short-medium-long-term recommendations to improve public land management regimes in the Philippines.
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Papers by Elmer Mercado, EnP, fpiep
assessment and registration; natural resource and ecosystems management; climate resilience, and disaster risk and emergency response planning; social protection targeting, and public health surveillance and monitoring; maritime and shipping guidance and coastal protection; law
enforcement, peace and security; tourism, transportation, mobility and infrastructure development.
This baseline assessment of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in the Philippines was conducted by a World Bank team over an extended period. The team has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders from both public and private sectors. Importantly, this is the first study of its type to
specifically address the interface between marine and land geospatial domains.
The methodology is based on the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) adopted by UN member states in 2018 and updated in August 2020 by the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). The aim of the IGIF is to provide strategic guidance to enable sub-national and national-specific Actions and Investment Plans to be prepared and implemented to strengthen integrated information management relating to land and marine environments. It does this by providing a 360-degree view of the capacities and capabilities needed to strengthen geospatial information management according to three focus areas and 9 strategic pathways – (i) Governance and Institutions; (ii) Policy and Legal; (iii) Financial; (iv) Data; (v) Innovation;
(vi) Standards; (vii) Partnerships; (viii) Capacity and Education; and (ix) Communication and Engagement.
of international humanitarian assistance, including the United Nations (UN), to have the greatest impact on the greatest number of people, where the priorities of affected communities drive humanitarian response.
But to do this, communities must be empowered to to take charge of their process and ensure outsiders will respect and provide, enabling support for the process and achieving community resilience. This empowerment allows the community to set its own goals and priorities, rather than having them dictated by external forces. By taking ownership of their processes, community members can create sustainable solutions that are tailored
to their specific needs and challenges. Through this self-determination, the community can build its capacity to overcome adversity and thrive in the face of future challenges. In other words, those who hold power, including groups and organizations whose objective to support and assist communities MUST disempower themselves with their defined agenda, priorities, processes and criteria where the community had no role or participation in its decision. Investing in community empowerment and prevention enhances people's resilience to shocks.
Another call is for the community to be able to feed in information to the government so the system will be responsive effectively and efficiently in saving lives, reducing damage, and even planning and taking action to address the underlying causes of disaster risk so that disaster will be avoided. This two-way communication can lead to more targeted and timely responses, as well as the implementation of preventive measures to mitigate future risks. The community's ability to contribute to the decision-making process can result in a more resilient society, better equipped to handle and recover from crises. Community-resilience agenda as the “core” based for collaboration,
This paper presents the perspective of communities on how to build resilience and improve interagency and multi sector collaboration and coordination for building community resilience.
This review involved field learning and reflection praxis, engagement, validation sessions with communities and stakeholders, and in-depth interviews with other government agencies and local officials, UN organizations, INGOs, faith-based organizations, private sector/business groups, academic groups, and research groups.
The valuable insights or takeaways from the EU TAT community discussion and stakeholder learning sessions and experiences in the ERC FI pilot areas on interoperability and community resilience centers, particularly for external agents and non-community actors, of ensuring that the community’s self-determined risk-informed resilience agenda is the ‘central focus’ any internal or external form of intervention or assistance program implemented in the community. before, during, or after a disaster or emergency. Absence of such, the role and responsibility of external agencies and organizations is to facilitate and support the completion of their agenda.
Communities should be treated as a whole, not in parts, and contextualized within the enabling socio-economic and structural ecosystem they live in. And that working with the community building a long-term relationship with them and aligning objectives and results with their timeline and not within a short-term project life. The core of resilience and development programs and interagency collaboration is the community's self-determined and risk-informed resilience agenda.