President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday called on Filipinos to embrace the country’s maritime heritage and strengthen stewardship of its waters, saying the seas have long been central to the nation’s history, economy and sovereignty.
In a message for the observance of Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANA Mo) 2025, Mr. Marcos described the Philippines as a “seafaring nation” whose ancestors navigated the seas in balangays long before colonizers arrived.
“The sea has been both our cradle and our crucible,” he said. “Every century of our history has been measured by its tides, carrying the seeds of prosperity and the storms of conflict,” President Marcos added.
The Commander-in-Chief underscored the role of the seas in binding the country’s islands, serving as “the richest reservoirs of food and widest corridors of trade.”
He also highlighted the work of the National Maritime Council and the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns in advancing agriculture, energy, commerce and science through maritime governance.
“Effective maritime governance requires foresight equal to its scale, the capacity to turn geography into strategy,” Mr. Marcos said.
“In mastering our seas lies the strength of our economy, the safety of our communities, and the dignity of our sovereignty,” he added.
President Marcos urged institutions to align science with law, communities to embrace stewardship, and leaders to govern with “horizons beyond their own time.”
“As we continue building a Bagong Pilipinas, let us unite our people towards caring for our seas and shores,” he said.
“For we care to protect not only our nation’s sovereignty but also those who will inherit our legacy.”
MANA Mo, observed every September, aims to raise awareness of the Philippines’ identity as a maritime and archipelagic nation.
