By Kenneth Marcos 
Amid the busy streets and rising buildings of Caloocan, a quiet but meaningful effort is underway to protect the city’s remaining pockets of nature. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) successfully held a two-day City Biodiversity Index (CBI) writeshop for the Caloocan City Government, part of the agency’s ongoing campaign to strengthen urban biodiversity conservation in Metro Manila.
With the theme “Recognizing Caloocan’s Urban Biodiversity: Paving the Way for a Sustainable and Resilient Economy,” the writeshop aimed to develop baseline data on the city’s native biodiversity resources, ecosystem services, and governance mechanisms related to environmental management.
“This is a meaningful step for Caloocan City in protecting and enhancing its urban biodiversity,” said Engr. Henry Pacis, Officer-in-Charge Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services of DENR-NCR.
The activity followed a series of biodiversity profiling and assessment programs conducted from February to September 2025, in partnership with the Caloocan City Government and the Metropolitan Environmental Office–North. Representatives from key city departments—including the City Environment Management Department (CEMD), City Planning and Development Department (CPDD), Public Disaster and Assistance Services (PDAS), and the University of Caloocan City—took part in the sessions.
During the two-day writeshop, participants combined data from field assessments to complete the 28 CBI indicators, resulting in the Caloocan City CBI Assessment Report. The report will serve as a foundation for biodiversity planning, monitoring, and policy formulation in the city.
According to Mr. Christopher Villarin, Chief of the Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Conservation Section of DENR-NCR, “The Caloocan City CBI will serve as our guide in developing environmental programs that promote sustainable and resilient growth.”
The CBI serves as an international tool for cities to measure their progress in biodiversity conservation and integrate nature-based solutions into urban planning. For Caloocan, this marks the beginning of a long-term effort to build a database for biodiversity monitoring and ensure that future policies are evidence-based and aligned with sustainable development goals.
DENR-NCR emphasized that this initiative highlights the strong collaboration between the national government and local authorities in promoting climate-resilient and sustainable urban development in Metro Manila.
As cities continue to expand, efforts like this remind everyone that environmental protection and economic growth can—and must—go hand in hand to ensure a livable and sustainable future for all.
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