PEMSEA Recognized for Three Decades of Partnership with Batangas Province

 

PEMSEA was recognized by the Provincial Government of Batangas, Philippines through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) for its partnership in advancing Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the province.

The recognition was presented during the Batangas Environmental Summit on 5 October 2026 in Batangas City, held as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of PGENRO.

For more than three decades, the partnership between PEMSEA and Batangas has helped shape the province’s approach to coastal and marine governance, from the establishment of Batangas Bay as an ICM demonstration site in 1994 to the expansion of integrated management across the province.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Marivic Esmas, Officer-in-Charge of PGENRO, recalled Batangas’ early ICM efforts in partnership with PEMSEA and how the approach was later expanded to Balayan Bay and Tayabas Bay through collaboration among government, communities and other sectors.

 

Ms. Marivic Esmas, OIC of PGENRO, who has worked closely with PEMSEA throughout the implementation of the province’s ICM, expresses her appreciation to the organizations and partners who have contributed to Batangas’ environmental efforts over the years.

 

“Our rivers are connected to our coastal waters. Our fisheries depend on healthy marine and coastal habitats. The quality of our water is affected by what happens upstream on land. Everything is connected,” she said.
 

 

Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto thanked the province’s partners for their continued support in advancing environmental protection and sustainable development during her opening remarks. 

 

Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto also thanked the province’s partners and emphasized the importance of stewardship, shared responsibility and collective action in addressing environmental concerns, including solid waste management, and in protecting Batangas’ natural resources for future generations.

 

 

PEMSEA Resource Facility Executive Director Ms. Aimee Gonzales delivered a presentation on “From Bay to Blueprint: Upscaling ICM and Localizing the Blue Economy in Batangas,” highlighting the province’s experience in building integrated, science-based and multisectoral approaches to coastal management.

In her video presentation, Ms. Gonzales emphasized that Batangas’ ICM experience provides a strong foundation for localizing the blue economy, connecting environmental sustainability with economic activity, livelihoods and community well-being.

For Batangas, this includes managing the Verde Island Passage, supporting sustainable fisheries and coastal livelihoods, applying sea-use zoning, and promoting environmentally responsible maritime and port activities.
The province’s experience also demonstrates how local environmental programmes can be sustained beyond externally funded projects. Through institutionalization and provincial budget allocations, as well as revenue generated through fee-for-service environmental testing, Batangas has continued to maintain key environmental management and monitoring functions.

Ms. Gonzales noted that the Batangas experience demonstrates what can be achieved when local leadership, scientific capacity and multisectoral partnerships come together.

Ms. Gonzales also joined a panel discussion with representatives from environmental organizations and private-sector partners working with Batangas.
 

 

During the discussion, she emphasized the importance of bringing different sectors into ocean governance to support a whole-of-government and multisectoral approach to managing coastal and marine resources.
 

 

From Batangas Bay to province-wide ICM

 

Ms. Aimee Gonzales receives the Certificate of Recognition from the Provincial Government of Batangas through the PGENRO, together with representatives of private sector and environmental partners working with Batangas on environmental protection, community engagement, and sustainable livelihoods, during the awarding ceremony at the Batangas Environmental Summit.

 

The partnership between PEMSEA and Batangas began at a critical period of rapid industrialization, port development and population growth that placed increasing pressure on Batangas Bay.

In 1994, Batangas Bay was designated as one of the region’s first ICM demonstration sites under the GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas (MPP-EAS), which later evolved into PEMSEA.

The province subsequently strengthened its institutional capacity for environmental management. In 1995, the PGENRO was established as a coordinating body, while the Batangas Bay Environmental Protection Council brought together local governments, national agencies, private industry and other stakeholders.

The province also invested in scientific capacity. In 1998, Batangas established the Batangas Environment Laboratory (BEL), becoming the first local government unit in the Philippines to construct and operate its own environmental testing facility. The laboratory was developed through contributions from the provincial government, PEMSEA, local industries and academic partners.

As the ICM approach matured, its application expanded beyond Batangas Bay to other coastal areas and eventually across the province. Batangas became a pioneering member of the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) in 2006 and has continued to strengthen its ICM systems through science, planning, stakeholder participation and institutional investment.

The province published the East Asian Seas region’s first local State of the Coasts report in 2008 and received ICM Level 1 Certification in 2015 and ICM Level 2 Certification in 2020.
 

 

PEMSEA Resource Facility Executive Director Aimee Gonzales, together with PRF Secretariat Assistant Nina Yambao and Communications Officer Klyra Orbien, holds the Certificate of Recognition presented to PEMSEA by the Provincial Government of Batangas through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) during the Batangas Environmental Summit on 5 October 2026 in Batangas City.