PEMSEA Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Celebrations

 

Quezon City, Philippines — To start its year-long anniversary celebrations, PEMSEA dedicated the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) library to Dr. Chua Thia-Eng and launched the PEMSEA History Wall at the PEMSEA Office Building in Quezon City, Philippines, last 4 April 2013.

 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by EAS Partnership Council Chair, Dr. Chua Thia-Eng and other members of the Executive Committee including Council Co-Chair, Ambassador Mary Seet-Cheng; Technical Session Chair, Mr. Hiroshi Terashima; and Technical Session Co-Chair, Prof. Chul-Hwan Koh.

 

The Dr. Chua Thia-Eng library showcases more than 21,000 print and electronic materials, including more than 300 publications highlighting PEMSEA's achievements and transformation over the last two decades. Guests were also treated to a hands-on demonstration of an online database developed by the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines to access the library collection.

 

The library is accessible via this link http://library.pemsea.org/union/ (public access) or http://silms.pemsea.loc/union/ (internal).
Aside from the Dr. Chua Thia-Eng Library, the PEMSEA History Wall was also launched. The PEMSEA History Wall commemorates PEMSEA's legacy in fostering collaborative partnerships and in promoting the sustainable development of the region's oceans and coasts. Anchored on the theme, "People, Partners, Progress: 20 Years of Partnerships for Our Shared Seas," the PEMSEA History Wall includes a collage of photos of people that have been part of PEMSEA's work over the past years.

 

The History Wall also includes a timeline offering a brief look at PEMSEA's evolution, from its humble beginnings as marine pollution demonstration project in 1993 and now as a leading international organization promoting integrated coastal management (ICM) across the region. Aside from these, the PEMSEA History Wall also featured the ICM demonstration and parallel sites across East Asia, PEMSEA's capacity building and knowledge management initiatives and the East Asian Seas Congresses and Ministerial Forums.

 

Guests included UNDP Manila Country Director Toshihiro Tanaka, Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources, representatives from PEMSEA Country and Non-Country Partners, present and former PRF staff members and other collaborators.