Celebrating the 15th anniversary of its environmental flagship program “Shore It Up! (SIU),” the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) bared its plans for the future and highlighted the need for collective efforts in preserving and conserving marine biodiversity.
“In the next five years of SIU, we plan to provide livelihood, create more blue carbon, and help mitigate climate change. Let it be a call to action for individuals, businesses, and governments to unite and work together in preserving our beautiful shorelines and securing the brighter, more sustainable future,” said MPIF president Melody del Rosario.
With the theme “Enlarging Our Blue Footprint for PH Marine Biodiversity Conservation,” the event was highlighted by the launch of Shore it Up mobile application, which would allow instant updates and actionable insights for SIU volunteers.
“This application will not only encourage participation and engage our partners in our programs and event initiatives, but also create a sense of community among our members, scuba divers, enthusiasts, and volunteers,” said del Rosario.
Joining the blue revolution are environmental stakeholders Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, who said her office would continue to implement a ridge-to-reef approach to contribute to the enrichment of coastal areas, and Department of Tourism Undersecretary Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, who will further support local communities by providing community-based tourism industry training.
Senate Committee Chair on Environment and Natural Resources Cynthia Villar said she has been actively promoting organic farming to reduce carbon footprint and create healthier soil.
“So far, we have been distributing composting machines all over the Philippines to produce organic fertilizer so we don’t have to buy chemical fertilizer anymore. A typical city in Metro Manila would typically spend P400 million to throw away their waste―if you help recycle, we can save P300 million a year because we recycle 3/4th of our waste,” she said.
Bohol congressman Rep. Edgar Chatto pushes to save the seas by promoting a whole-of-nation approach to climate change.
“Through a multi-actor approach, we will pursue the formulation of sound policies related to allocating resources. I will also make sure that the House of Representatives, as a whole, adopt HR No. 213 not only as a manifestation of commitment but as an important first-step towards our whole-of-nation approach on climate risk management,” he said.
SIU in recent years has supported two Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance: the Las Piñas―Parañaque Wetland Park in Manila Bay and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Cagayancillo, Palawan.
The program has also made significant contributions to key coastal areas in Subic Bay, Alaminos City in Pangasinan, and Del Carmen in Siargao Island.
For 15 years, SIU continues to be the MVP Group’s trailblazing program on the environment, pivoting towards institutionalizing programs on marine ecosystem protection and conservation to benefit the coastal communities in the Philippines. It has mobilized over 85,000 volunteers from Metro Pacific firms, government agencies, LGUs, community organizations, civil society groups, and dive industry stakeholders. With Erica Cayme and Zofia Tadeo