Marine science and geopolitical experts urged the government, private sector, and international community to collaborate to protect the country’s marine environment in the West Philippine Sea amid massive coral destruction due to China’s continuous illegal activities in the area.
The experts made the statement during a West Philippine Sea marine conservation forum on Tuesday, organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the Embassy of Australia in the Philippines.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla-Taborlupa noted the massive coral destruction in the West Philippine Sea due to China’s reclamation activities.
She cited the Center for Strategic and International Studies report bearing the 21,000 acres of coral reefs damaged by these illegal Chinese activities.
To combat further harmful activity, Padilla-Taborlupa said they stationed the biggest coast guard vessel in the Escoda Shoal to prevent Chinese reclamation of the area following the dumping of dead corals in the area.
Stratbase ADR Institute president Professor DindoManhit said the joint efforts among all sectors of society and the international community are necessary to protect our seas and oceans and to uphold the rules-based international order.
“We believe that in our collective pursuit of marine conservation, people are tasked not only to protect our marine resources but to ensure their sustainable and responsible use. As we fight to assert our rights and safeguard our marine environment, collaborating with key stakeholders in the government, private sector, and the international community is crucial,” he explained.
Further emphasizing the value of collaboration, Australian Embassy to the Philippines’ Political Second Secretary Alex Sodomaco stated that Australia invested P328 million in the Philippines’ civil maritime security program to strengthen maritime governance arrangements, institutional capacity-building, and discussions and analyses of maritime issues.
“As strategic partners, Australia and the Philippines will continue to seek opportunities to work together to preserve the marine environment, combat climate change, and build our disaster resilience,” Sodomaco said.
In strengthening collaboration with the international community, Non-Resident Fellow Dr. Mary Kristerie Baleva highlighted the value of multilateral environmental agreements like the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which aims to reverse destructive ocean trends and restore ocean health.
“If a critical mass of states become parties to the BBNJ Agreement, there will be an additional layer of legally binding obligations that would help conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity,” Baleva said.
“Policy definitely needs to be informed by science, and that is the marriage we need to come up with in order to be effective stewards of marine biodiversity and ecosystems,” Baleva added.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Chief Lea Avilla reported that they regularly conduct marine scientific research expeditions with Filipino scientists and researchers to improve policy development and strategy formulation for marine conservation and sustainability.
“We focus on climate solution and finance, blue economy, and other partnerships. With these collaborative efforts, we hope to enhance marine resource management, support sustainable development, and build resilient communities,” said Avilla.
To bolster further collaboration with the academe, University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute Assistant Professor Dr. Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez proposed partnering with scientists and developing a platform for coral restoration learning where they can discuss, engage, and collaborate their coral restoration efforts.
“Joint or incentive research in the area with all the interested parties [allows us to understand] the value of collaboration towards conservation,” said Baria-Rodriguez.
