Oriental Mindoro served as one of the pilot areas for the testing of the updated Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP) Formulation Guidelines, as national government agencies and development partners convened for a series of technical workshops on January 27–30, 2026.
The activity was spearheaded by the DHSUD Environmental, Land Use and Planning Development Bureau (ELUPDB), in collaboration with DHSUD MIMAROPA, DENR MIMAROPA, and UN-Habitat Philippines through the TRANSCEND Project, alongside the DENR-UNDP Philippines-GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project. The pilot testing focused on assessing the clarity, practicality, responsiveness, and applicability of the enhanced guidelines in an actual provincial planning setting.
The first of three planned workshops featured discussions and technical sessions on Volume I, covering the Ecological Profile and Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment Module, and Volume II, focusing on the Provincial Physical Framework Plan. Particular emphasis was given to resilience planning, urban ecosystem-based adaptation, and Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM), reflecting the need to integrate environmental considerations and climate and disaster resilience into provincial development and land use planning.
A parallel session was likewise conducted to pilot test the Harmonized Land Use Mapping (HLUM) Guidelines. The session complemented the PDPFP process by providing an avenue to assess the applicability of harmonized approaches to land use mapping and strengthen the integration of spatial data in provincial planning.
The pilot testing brought together technical experts, partner agencies, and local stakeholders in a collaborative process aimed at generating practical recommendations for further improving the guidelines. The inputs gathered from Oriental Mindoro will contribute to the continuing refinement of the PDPFP and HLUM Guidelines toward more integrated, evidence-based, sustainable, and resilient provincial planning.
