DFA-MOAO Hosts 178th Maritime Forum Highlighting Deep Seabed Mining, Sea-Level Rise, and the National Plan of Action on Marine Litter

DFA Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce and His Excellency Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin of the Royal Danish Embassy during the 178th Maritime Forum. (DFA-MOAO photo)

01 February 2023 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office (MOAO), in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) and the Embassy of Denmark in the Philippines, hosted the 178th Maritime Forum of the Maritime League on 24 January 2023 to discuss (1) the Outcomes of the Deep Seabed Mining Consultations hosted by the MOAO last December 2022; (2) Sea Level Rise and Small Fishing Communities National Plan of Action on Marine Litter (NPOA); and (3) the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE). 

Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce expressed her appreciation to Maritime League President Vice-Admiral Eduardo Ma R. Santos AFP (Ret), and acknowledged the Maritime League’s “unique and instrumental role” in bridging knowledge-sharing between government agencies, private institutions and the academe with the common goal of improving the Philippine Maritime Sector.

In their presentations, MOAO Director Robert D. Quintin shared the outcomes of the Deep Seabed Mining Consultations organized by the DFA Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office last 16 December 2023. Director Quintin discussed the next steps and strategies in relation to deep seabed mining for the Philippines.

DENR Assistant Secretary Michelle Angelica Go highlighted the global concerns on the Sea Level Rise and Small Fishing Communities National Plan of Action on Marine Litter (NPOA). In the presentation, Assistant Secretary Go stressed that sea-level rise due to climate change and land subsidence due to over-extraction of groundwater are the twin dangers that cause inundation which puts small fishing communities at risk, this requires comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach to address the sea-level rise and marine plastic pollution through the NPOA.

His Excellency Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin, Ambassador of the Royal Danish Embassy in the Philippines, shared Denmark’s advocacy, expertise and commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly on the Net Zero Emissions 2050 Scenario. Ambassador Mellbin highlighted the importance of collective approach between the public and private sector to support initiatives to make the maritime industry more sustainable. 

Held in virtual format, the 178th Maritime Forum was one of the most well-attended sessions, gathering over two-hundred sixty (260) participants, from thirty-three (33) foreign missions in the Philippines, six (6) of whom are represented by their Ambassadors, Philippine Foreign Service Posts all over the world, and partner agencies here in the Philippines. 

The Maritime Forum is held monthly under the auspices of the Maritime League, a non-profit foundation established in 1995 to advance the interests of the Philippine maritime sector, and promote maritime development and safety through better information, cooperation, and unity of effort among the stakeholders of the maritime industry. END