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In 1991 the Philippine government shifted many coastal management responsibilities to local governments and fostered increased local participation in the management of coastal resources. In their delivery of integrated coastal management (ICM) as a basic service, many local governments have achieved increasing public awareness of coastal resource management (CRM) issues. Continuing challenges are financial sustainability, inadequate capacities, weak law enforcement, and lack of integrated and collaborative efforts. To address these challenges, a CRM certification system was developed to improve strategies and promote incentives for local governments to support ICM. This system is being applied by an increasing number of local governments to guide the development and implementation of ICM in their jurisdiction. The CRM benchmarks required for a local government to achieve the first level of certification are: budget allocated, CRM related organizations formed and active, CRM plan developed and adopted, shoreline management initiated and two or more best practices implemented. Implementation is providing tangible benefits to communities through enhanced fisheries production associated with MPAs, revenues from user fees and enhanced community pride through learning exchanges and involvement in decisions, among others. Keywords: benchmarkscoastal resource managementcommunity-based managementdecentralizationintegrated coastal managementlocal governanceMPAsPhilippines The authors thank the Coastal Resource Management Project of Tetra Tech EM Inc. supported by USAID to the Philippines under Contract No. AID-492-C-00–96–00028–00 (1996–2004) and the Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvests (FISH) Project of Tetra Tech EM Inc. also supported by USAID under Contract No. AID-492–C-00–03–00022–00 (2003–2010) for essential support. The Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, Inc. is acknowledged for its input from field experience generated through projects supported by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Notes 1. Barangay is the smallest political unit in the Philippines within municipalities and cities. It is sometimes synonymous with village or community-level management because it is small and localized. 2. "Coastal management as a basic service of local government" is frequently referred to by the DENR (and previously CRMP) in public forums and the literature in an effort to encourage local governments to realize their responsibility under the local government code, and to encourage them to take action to fulfill it. 3. Pending to be signed by the president of the Philippines is an Executive Order that will establish ICM as a standard approach to coastal management by making it a "basic service of local government" and formalizing the CRM certification system described herein. 4. This Project was supported by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and implemented through the University of Washington, School of Marine Affairs in association with Silliman University and a number of Philippine-based researchers. The results are published in the Silliman Journal, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2003 and in the Ocean and Coastal Management Journal in Vol. 48, 2005.