eBulletin - May 2025
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PEMSEA eBulletin - May 2025

PUBLICATION DATE:

Friday, May 30, 2025

PUBLICATION TYPE:

Magazines and Newsletters

STATUS:

Only Available Online

DESCRIPTION:

Dear PEMSEA community,

For the month of May, PEMSEA is proud to share significant developments that highlight both our expanding influence in regional ocean governance and the personal journeys that drive our mission forward.

We celebrate a major milestone as former PEMSEA Executive Director Raphael P.M. Lotilla takes on his new role as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and thank the outgoing DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga for her dedicated service to improve environmental governance and coastal resilience.

This month also saw PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales participate in the prestigious Nikkei Forum Future of Asia, where leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered to address the growing crisis facing our oceans. We also remember Dr. Li Haiqing, former EAS Partnership Council Intergovernmental Session Chair , whose vision and leadership helped shape PEMSEA's governance framework.

Meanwhile, we continue building partnerships for the future, as seen in our exploratory meeting with the Local Government Academy to strengthen coastal management training for Philippine local government units.

Finally, we're excited to feature a fresh perspective from our own Training and Capacity Development Assistant, Jean Francesca Cortez, who shares her journey from being intern to sitting where ocean policy decisions are made. Her story illustrates how PEMSEA creates pathways for young professionals to contribute meaningfully to regional cooperation, proving that passion and commitment matter as much as credentials in building a sustainable ocean future.

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