DENR welcomes UK’s support for PH blue economy
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has promised to further strengthen the development and protection of the Philippines’ blue economy or the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihood and jobs.
DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said this has been made possible with the strong support of the United Kingdom (UK) through its Blue Planet Fund (BPF).
Launched in 2021, BPF is UK’s program supporting developing countries to protect the marine environment and reduce poverty.
There are approximately 3 billion people who rely on the ocean for their food security and livelihoods.
During an official visit to the Philippines on March 8, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, the Rt. Hon. David Lammy MP, met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and other officials to promote enhanced partnerships between the two nations.
This visit resulted in the signing of a joint framework agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation in key areas such as economic development, defense and regional security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and biodiversity conservation among others.
Loyzaga thanked the UK and other development partners in promoting regional and global stability, as well as long-term peace and prosperity.
“Although we may be small in terms of land mass, both the Philippines and the UK are large ocean nations with some of the longest coastlines in the world,” she remarked.
The Philippines and the UK share the characteristics of being small, blue, archipelagic nations with vast ocean territories.
For the Philippines, the development of the blue economy has enormous potential, as 86% of its territory is water.
In the Philippines, the fund focuses on climate adaptation, tackling plastic pollution, promoting blue carbon initiatives, and preserving natural systems and biodiversity.
Loyzaga highlighted two out of eight significant programs supported by the BPF.
The first program centers on enhancing sustainable livelihoods by improving the management of marine protected areas in the Verde Island Passage, the Calamianes Islands in Palawan, and the Tañon Strait between Negros and Cebu.
The BPF’s Global Fund for Coral Reefs supports these initiatives involving ecotourism, community-based aquaculture, blue carbon, and fishery improvement projects. These efforts aim to mitigate coral reef degradation while alleviating poverty and generating long-term income for communities within these protected areas.
On the other hand, the second program, supported by the BPF, is the Philippines’ National Blue Carbon Action Plan (NBCAP), launched on February 26. The NBCAP outlines the Philippine government’s strategy for managing blue carbon ecosystems.
