Legarda urges united action to defend Philippine oceans

Senator Loren Legarda has called for urgent, collective action to protect the country’s oceans, warning of severe threats to livelihoods, biodiversity, and economic stability if the Philippines fails to act decisively.

Speaking at the DFA Ocean Talk on August 13, 2025, after the Philippines’ participation in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, Legarda described the ocean as “the soul of our archipelago,” sustaining 2.24 million livelihoods and contributing PHP 787 billion annually to the economy.

She cautioned that without bold interventions, sea-level rise could displace 150,000 Filipinos by 2040 and inflict over PHP 18 billion in losses, while more than four million metric tons of mismanaged plastic waste each year continue to poison marine ecosystems and the national food chain.

“Climate harm is a breach of legal duty, and protecting our oceans is central to human dignity, security, and peace,” Legarda said, citing the International Court of Justice’s recent advisory opinion affirming states’ binding responsibility to prevent, reduce, and redress climate damage.

Legarda highlighted the Philippines’ active role at UNOC3, noting its participation in all plenary and Ocean Action Panels, leadership as one of 13 vice presidents, interventions in nine thematic sessions, and strategic dialogues on marine biodiversity, ocean governance, the blue economy, ocean literacy, and maritime security.

She detailed how the Philippines presented to the ICJ the lived realities of its people—super typhoons destroying communities within hours, record heat disrupting agriculture, and rising seas threatening biodiversity that feeds millions.

Throughout her four Senate terms, Legarda has authored and championed laws such as the Climate Change Act, People’s Survival Fund Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Renewable Energy Act.

For the 20th Congress, she pledged to champion the proposed Blue Economy Act, embedding ocean health into economic planning, and to ensure prompt Senate action on ratifying the BBNJ Agreement to protect marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

She underscored that upholding maritime rights under UNCLOS and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award is non-negotiable for ocean governance and national stability.

“Commitments, no matter how eloquently spoken in conference halls, must be made real in our barangays,” she said, calling for empowered local governments to enforce sustainable fishing, protect mangroves, expand marine protected areas, improve waste management, and combat illegal fishing.

Legarda urged ocean literacy as a national priority, stressing that Filipinos must view the seas as a shared inheritance, not a limitless resource.

“The fight for our oceans demands unprecedented cooperation,” she said, urging government unity, civil society accountability, academic guidance, private sector sustainability, and respect for indigenous knowledge.

Addressing the youth, she encouraged using creativity to inspire action through art, social media, and sustainable tourism promotion, saying, “Your creativity can change the tide… Inspire others to care, inspire others to act.”

The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in June 2025 convened global leaders to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14—Life Below Water. The Philippines, as one of the conference vice presidents, took a leading role in policy and technical discussions.

The country’s ocean territory spans 2.2 million square kilometers and supports livelihoods in fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal tourism, contributing PHP 787 billion annually to the economy.

However, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources estimates that over four million metric tons of plastic waste are mismanaged annually, placing the Philippines among the world’s top marine polluters.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that sea-level rise by 2040 could damage property, disrupt fisheries, and erode tourism revenues, with losses exceeding PHP 18 billion.

National measures include expanding marine protected areas, enforcing solid waste management, and preparing for the BBNJ Agreement’s ratification. The proposed Blue Economy Act aims to institutionalize marine conservation in all development and economic planning, positioning ocean health as central to the Philippines’ climate resilience strategy.