18 June 2015 - A Community Breakfast Forum entitled UNCLOS and the Protection of the Marine Environment: The Situation in the South China Sea featuring guest speakers Dr. Edgardo Gomez of the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines and noted marine environmental law practitioner Ms. Youna Lyons, was hosted by the Philippine Consulate General for the Filipino community in New York at the Kalayaan Annex Hall of the New York Philippine Center. 

Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. set the tone for the event when he said that recent developments on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are circulating internationally thanks in large part to the Department of Foreign Affairs, led by Secretary Alberto F. del Rosario. 

“Secretary Del Rosario has made the WPS issue a cornerstone of Philippine diplomatic and political engagement with various states. I believe that the Foreign Affairs Secretary has been handling this issue with courage, aplomb and dignity, raising the profile of the country as standing for rule of law and respect. Right is might,” he added.

Consul General De Leon remarked on the importance of making the community aware and educated on the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea, which is not only a political or economic issue, but also an environmental one.

Dr. Edgardo Gomez delivered a presentation which shows how China’s massive reclamation activities compromise the biodiversity and economic productivity in the South China Sea. He also showed a satellite imagery analysis of how the biodiversity in the entire West Philippine Sea region had been affected over the years because of development projects by China in the area, and how the marine environment could be further depleted if continued unchecked and unabated. 

Ms. Youna Lyons discussed the legal issues of the environmental impact of large reclamation activities in the South China Sea. She also cited the United Nations Convention Law on the Seas (UNCLOS) and pointed out how it conveyed an obligation on the part of the international community for due diligence to protect sensitive marine environments worldwide. She also discussed aspects of the Convention against the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) relevant to the issue.

During the question-and-answer session moderated by Consul Felipe Carino, attendees posed queries about UNCLOS, as well as how it ties in with the Philippine position on the maritime dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea. Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega and Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Benito Valeriano joined the Q&A panel as well. Both were in New York to attend the UNCLOS meetings at the United Nations headquarters. END