Philippines Announces New Voluntary Commitments to Tackle Marine Pollution and Biodiversity Conservation 

The Philippine delegation to the 10th Our Ocean Conference, led by DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones (7th from right). From left to right, the delegation members were Agriculture Attache to ROK Lev Macalintal, DA-BFAR Supervising Aquaculturist Joeren Yleana, DA-BFAR Senior Aquaculturist Janice Cubo, DA-BFAR Regional Director Remia Aparri, DILG Director Debie Torres, DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan, DENR-BMB Assistant Director Mariglo Rosaida Laririt, DENR Assistant Secretary Noralene Uy, DA Undersecretary Drusila Bayate, DENR Undersecretary Leones, DFA-MOAO Assistant Secretary Louis Alferez, DA-BFAR Assistant Director Isidro Velayo, Seoul PE Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, DFA-MOAO Principal Assistant Dennis Flores, DENR Ecosystems Management Specialists Kim Miranda and Joaquin Silvestre.

BUSAN 15 May 2025 – The Philippines announced new domestic initiatives to tackle marine pollution and biodiversity conservation during its fruitful participation in the 10th Our Ocean Conference held on 28-30 April 2025 in Busan, Republic of Korea.   

The five new voluntary commitments by the Philippines, valued at USD 60 Million and which aligned with the conference theme of “Our Ocean, Our Action”, are aimed at demonstrating the country’s commitment to prevent and mitigate the impact of pollutants like plastics on the marine environment, which in turn help ensure sustainable management of marine biodiversity and ocean health for the country’s benefit. These specific commitments are:

1. Philippine Coast Guard’s commitment to tackle marine pollution by increasing recorded garbage collected from the Philippine domestic shipping industry to a total of 80 million kilograms by 2030;

2. Palawan Provincial Government’s program of expanding its marine biodiversity conservation efforts, enhancing reef health monitoring, and strengthening partnerships to support long-term ecological and economic resilience in the seven coastal barangays found in Aborlan, Palawan by 2028;

3. Ilocos Sur Provincial Government’s program of improving marine turtle nesting site protection as a contribution to global efforts to protect marine wildlife by the end of 2030;

4. “Palakasan Para Sa Kalikasan” of Filanthropic Sports, which is a sustainability-driven initiative merging sports with environmental conservation and youth athlete engagement to foster a culture of responsibility towards marine conservation; and,

5. The creation of an oceans environment policy and task force bureau within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which will institute new, adaptive and digital mechanisms to study, observe and protect ocean environments, biodiversity and natural resources, and to manage ocean-based industries, in compliance with domestic and international law by 2028.

In the plenary remarks, DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones, who led the Philippine delegation, emphasized that for the Philippines “sustainability and prosperity are not mutually exclusive objectives. They are complementary.” He added that the Philippines' various stakeholders have “crucial and equal roles to play as vital stewards of our maritime domain. This common effort must remain central in our campaigns to innovate towards a bluer economy that delivers equality, equity, food security and climate and sea-level rise resilience for all.”

Accompanying Undersecretary Leones in the Philippine delegation were DA Undersecretary Drusila Esther Bayate, DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan and DFA Assistant Secretary Louis Alferez, as well as other officials from DENR, DA, DILG, DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

The Philippine delegation participated in the plenary sessions and several side events in the conference, which were useful opportunities to exchange perspectives and best practices with other countries, as well as promote Philippine advocacies in terms of marine biodiversity conservation, marine environmental protection, maritime cooperation and maritime security.

Bilateral meetings were also held with Canada’s Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Annette Gibbons, former US Secretary of State and currently senior Carnegie Endowment executive John Kerry, and senior experts from the international organization High Seas Alliance.

Since its participation in the first Our Ocean Conference in 2014, the Philippines has consistently advocated integrated, inclusive and science-based approaches to ocean conservation. The Philippines has made significant progress in its previous voluntary commitments, such as in increasing our maritime protected areas; intensifying our efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; combatting marine plastic pollution; protecting the marine environment; and, upholding the rights and freedoms that are provided to coastal and user states under UNCLOS.

The Our Ocean Conference is a gathering of global leaders and representatives from international and non-profit organizations with the aim of discussing diverse and concrete actions for a sustainable ocean for the present and future generations, in accordance with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 14 to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development" and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).  The next OOC will be held in Mombasa, Kenya in 2026. END

DENR Undersecretary Leones announcing the Philippines’ new voluntary commitments during the Marine Pollution Plenary Session at the 10th Our Ocean Conference.