The Puerto Galera Biodiversity and Environmental Research and Outreach Center is envisioned as a world‐class research and outreach facility showcasing the Philippines’ remarkable biodiversity; enabling trans-disciplinary and synergistic collaboration between experts across UP campuses as well as local and foreign researchers and practitioners; and demonstrating the mutualism of a public‐private partnership.
This center will provide a venue for the faculty, students and staff of the University of the Philippines system to conduct research, education and outreach activities. This will also extend to international researchers and students where there is much interest in this high biodiversity ecosystem. Through the educational and outreach activities that are planned to be hosted in this center, different sectors in the local community (youth, adults, tourists) and interested private sector are expected to gain better awareness, appreciation and understanding of the
environment and resources. Local government executives and officials from national agencies are also expected to benefit from the center through the planned establishment of trainings with information and tools for a holistic (ridge to reef) approach to manage their own communities and resources, as well as dealing with hazards.
This facility will focus on two main themes: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health; and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Each theme would have research, education, and outreach components.
Puerto Galera is the ideal location for biodiversity research because of the variety of its terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Long-term monitoring programs give better understanding and management of the health of the ecosystems of Puerto Galera, giving communities the opportunity to improve conservation, monitoring, and management initiatives, while also integrating nearby indigenous groups.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) research programs support fields of study like an ecosystem’s vulnerability and resilience, climate impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, decision support systems for environment management, early warning systems for communities, and renewable energy for local communities among many others. These topics will enable communities to adapt better to environmental risks, especially a changing climate.
Located in the center of marine biodiversity in the world, there is high scientific interest in the Coral Triangle region. The facility is integral as a research, education, and extension hub to support scientists, educators, and trainers in their activities, especially in the further investigation of biodiversity and ecosystem health and disaster risk reduction and management.
The location is the unused land of the University of the Philippines in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro that is centrally located close to the port of Puerto Galera.