Breadcrumb
Philippines
Capital:
Manila
Land Area:
298,170km²
Inland Water Area:
1,830km²
Length of Coastline:
36,289km
A global center of marine diversity, an archipelago with more than 7,100 islands, and one of the longest coastlines in the world, the Philippines provides visitors with access to all that is wondrous and beautiful about the ocean and coastal resources, as well as insights into the challenges to sustainable development and management of those very resources. The country is confronted with the enormous challenge of finding a suitable path to food security, sustainable livelihood, poverty alleviation and reduction of vulnerability to natural hazards, while protecting ecological integrity and strengthening economic growth. Responding to this challenge, integrated coastal management (ICM) has emerged, through practice, as a better alternative in the governance of coastal and marine areas. In as much as the Philippines is an ocean-dependent country, application of ICM is of vital importance to the country’s long-term social and economic development.
The issuance of Executive Order (EO) 533 on 6 June 2006 adopting ICM as the policy framework for the sustainable development of the coastal and marine environment and resources is considered a significant milestone in the long history of coastal management in the Philippines. An ICM Bill filed at the Senate and House of Representatives, which captures the provisions of the EO, aims to institutionalize ICM through the enactment of the Bill into ICM Act.
In 2013, PEMSEA assisted the DENR to draft a National ICM Program for Sustainable Development of the Coastal and Marine Environment and Resources of the Philippines, as mandated by EO 533. The program targeted developing and implementing effective ICM programs in partnership with local governments, covering more than 20% of the country’s coastline over the next 5 years. In 2015, the Philippine Government signed the Da Nang Compact along with 10 other East Asian countries, committing to scale up ICM to cover 25% of the regional coastline . An independent Third-Party Assessment (TPA) was conducted in 2017 to objectively evaluate ICM program coverage in the country, to benchmark the ICM processes and controls that have been established in selected provinces and municipalities against the requirements of PEMSEA’s ICM Code, and to provide guidance on the standardization, streamlining and strengthening the national ICM program. The results of the TPA has confirmed the Philippines achievement in ICM scaling up where the assessment of 32 coastal provinces (out of 64) covered an estimated coastline of 9.747 km or 26.85% of the Philippine coastline.
With a view of promoting convergence and collaboration among concerned agencies and related programs at various scales, the Philippines through DENR has established partnerships for: a) the joint protection of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion with Indonesia and Malaysia in partnership with GIZ; b) collaboration with the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute for the Philippine Rise Initiative; c) implementing the GEF/UNDP- SMARTSeas Project; d) the multilateral partnership for the Coral Triangle Initiative; and e) managing Key Biodiversity Areas of Southeast Asia in partnership with the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity. Through EO 510, the DENR has developed the Integrated River Basin Development and Management Framework, which provides the blueprint for protecting the country’s priority river basins by reducing pollution and ensuring the sustainable supply of clean and safe water for all.
Focal Points:
Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh (National Focal Point)
Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems and Climate Change, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Ms. Jeslina Gorospe
Chief, Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service (FASPS), DENR
c/o Ms. Khasmer Marbella
Project Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, FASPS, DENR
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
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Xiamen Ministerial Declaration 2024
The Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, adopted by PEMSEA country partners in November 2024, strengthens regional commitments for sustainable ocean governance in East Asian Seas. The declaration emphasizes 10 synergistic actions across effective governance, ocean health, blue economy, and food security, while advancing the SDS-SEA Implementation Plan 2023-2027 and PEMSEA 2030 Roadmap through collaborative partnerships.
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PEMSEA eBulletin - November 2024
Dear PEMSEA community,
That’s a wrap for East Asian Seas Congress (EASC) 2024!
As we close the successful EASC 2024 held in Xiamen, China, we look back at inspiring discussions, collaborations, and groundbreaking initiatives that helped achieve our collective commitment to a sustainable and resilient future!
This month, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who made EASC 2024 a success. Check out the key takeaways from the Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, discover how the EASC Exhibition celebrated 30 years of regional cooperation, and revisit the many highlights of this landmark event.
A Heartfelt Thank You!
To all delegates, convenors, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and ocean leaders, we extend our deepest gratitude for your exceptional contributions to the success of the EASC 2024!
This year’s Congress brought together 855 participants from 20 countries, a potent pool of ideas and experiences. From 171 speakers leading 35 sessions, the creativity and enthusiasm of our 50 exhibitors, and the support of our nine sponsors, every milestone of the Congress was filled with collaboration, learning and the essence of partnerships.
We explored important themes through our plenary sessions, including:
- Ocean Innovations and Financing
- Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice
- Global Challenges, Local Solutions
Parallel sessions took a closer look into selected topics like climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development, while our exhibits showcased cutting-edge solutions and technologies for ocean sustainability.
With representation from 20 countries, 88 IGOs and NGOs, 42 local host institutions, 47 academic institutions, 22 local governments, 6 donor agencies and foundations, 15 business organizations, and over 200 youth participating as speakers, delegates, and dedicated volunteers, the Congress truly reflected a “whole of society” approach.
Your contributions and engagement made this Congress a celebration of “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.” Together, we tackled the big questions, shared ideas and built lasting partnerships to protect our coastal communities and our shared ocean.
See you at the 9th EAS Congress in 2027!
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The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System
The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System is intended for local governments and/or river basinorganizations in the East Asian Seas region currently or planning to implement integrated river basin management (IRBM)/integratedwater resources management (IWRM) programs. It provides guidance in establishing a regular monitoring, evaluation (M&E) and reporting mechanism, and discusses the requirements, the basis and importance of implementing and sustaining the SORB reporting system.