In an effort to intensify the delivery of science and technology (S&T) services through research and development, (R&D) particularly in the area of resource economics, a training course on Economic Valuation of Environment and Natural Resources was organized by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). To conduct this training, the Council partnered with the Economy and Environment Group (EEG), a unit within the Resources and Environmental Economics Foundation of the Philippines (REAP) Incorporated.
EEG specializes in capacity building on environmental economics to include cost-benefit analysis, valuation, environment and natural resources accounting, economic modelling, economic impact analysis, and other related needs of various constituencies such as local government units, universities, and research institutions.
The training was developed for PCAARRD’s R&D network and selected staff to equip them with basic knowledge on the methodologies and tools used for economic valuation on environment and natural resources for economic impact and analysis. It was envisaged that the training would provide knowledge on the methodologies and analysis that can be used for cross-cutting sectors within PCAARRD’s banner programs and give them basis in crafting and evaluating projects related to these sectors.
The five-day training course consisted of five modules that included topics on basic welfare economics, market-based approaches and applications, hedonic pricing method, travel cost method, contingent valuation method, value-transfer methods, cost-benefit analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis.
The PCAARRD Directors’ Council and select Industry Strategic Program (ISP) managers attended the opening program of the training wherein it provided an overview of resource valuation for decision-makers and R&D managers. This was done to increase awareness and appreciation of economic valuation when analyzing the Council’s researches.
Participants from the R&D networks were carefully selected from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In Luzon, participants came from Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Partido State University (ParSU), and Bicol University (BU). The participants from Visayas include Visayas State University (VSU), University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), and Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), while participants from Mindanao included the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPM), Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU), and University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP).
Seven capsule proposals on impact evaluation, ex-ante analysis, and economic valuation were developed and presented by the end of the training. The training served as a venue for a writeshop wherein participants discussed and conceptualized potential projects which were applied with the methodologies learned from the training.