Keynote Address of Senator Loren Legarda | Daluyong ng Pagbabago: Adaptation and Resilience for Our Oceans29 May 2025

To the Climate Change Commission, to the visionary leaders of the University of the Philippines Visayas – Antique, the resilient communities of Antique, our fisherfolk, scientists, youth champions, fellow advocates, and stewards of our seas: Magandang umaga sa ating lahat!

Today, we gather as custodians of a sacred trust: the future of our oceans. Here in Pandan, where the mountains meet the sea, we are reminded that our survival depends on a delicate balance.

Let me begin by grounding our discussion in the global framework that binds us all: Sustainable Development Goal 14 — Life Below Water.

Adopted in 2015 as part of the UN 2030 Agenda, SDG 14 is a covenant to conserve and sustainably use our oceans. Its targets are precise: reduce pollution, protect ecosystems, end overfishing, invest in science, and uphold international law, such as the UNCLOS and Paris Agreement.

The 2017 UN Ocean Conference in New York marked a turning point for global action. For the first time, 193 nations united to reverse ocean decline.

Out of this came the Nine Communities of Ocean Action, launched by UN DESA and Ambassador Peter Thomson, Special Envoy for the Ocean. These communities, which each deal with an aspect of ocean conservation, from mangroves to marine pollution, became our blueprint.

In Nairobi, at the 2017 UN Environment Assembly, we began translating pledges into progress, starting with action against marine plastic, a crisis that still haunts us today.

Then came 2022, when Kenya and Portugal co-hosted the second Ocean Conference amid a pandemic that exposed our fragility. It called for green technology, habitat restoration, and justice for coastal communities.

Now, as we approach the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, just 11 days from today, we face a stark truth: Global targets mean little without local action.

The Philippines, as a Coral Triangle nation and one of the most at-risk countries to climate change, must lead not just by words, but by example.

To us Filipinos, the ocean is not just a backdrop. It is our lifeline. With 7,641 islands, our country’s identity, food, and survival are tied to the seas.

They feed millions of people, absorb humanity’s carbon emissions, and produce the oxygen we breathe.

Our coastal economy contributes to 3.9%6 of GDP. But despite progress, threats have
deepened:

Fisheries’ catch rates have plummeted in recent years.

None of our coral reefs remain in “excellent” condition.

On plastic, we remain a top polluter in the world.

But let me speak plainly: This is personal. This is the reality of fisherfolks who told me: “Noong bata ako, puno ang lambat ng isda. Ngayon, puno na lang ng basura.” (In my youth, nets brimmed with fish. Now, they brim with trash.)

This is the story of millions of Filipinos who depend on the sea for their livelihood. When corals die, so do fish stocks. When mangroves vanish, villages lose their shields against storms. When plastic chokes our waters, it chokes our children’s future.

For decades, we have turned crisis into courage through policy. The Climate Change Act of 2009 created the Climate Change Commission, embedding resilience into our governance.

Because of this law, local governments like Antique now have a Local Climate Change Action Plan, ensuring that fisherfolk and farmers are becoming climate-resilient.

Moreover, the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act is revolutionary, as it compels us to value nature as our greatest asset. For instance, the mangroves that sequester carbon are now recognized not just as ecosystems but as economic lifelines.

Our fight continues. The proposed Blue Economy Act, which I will continue to champion, will redefine our relationship with the ocean. It mandates sustainable fishing quotas, bans destructive practices like muro-ami, and allocates a percentage of coastal zones as protected areas.

Internationally, we stand tall. Through the High Ambition Coalition, we’ve rallied 120 nations to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. With France, we have our “100 Days for the Ocean” mobilization campaign.

Just two days ago, at an Ocean Talk in the National Museum of Fine Arts, we assessed progress since the 2015 Manila Call to Action. From that dialogue, one truth emerged: Our policies must now surge from paper to practice.

In eleven (11) days, the world will convene in Nice for the Third UN Ocean Conference. The Philippines will be there, not as a victim but as a victor, armed with
stories of hope and a demand for justice.

We carry these messages:

First, we will advocate for climate justice, continuously urging developed countries to honor their pledge of $100 billion per year.

Additionally, we will emphasize the need for blue finance. Invest in nations that steward marine biodiversity. Every peso spent on mangroves or coral reefs yields tenfold returns in resilience.

We will also highlight the importance of indigenous systems, for example, where ancestral waters guide conservation.

The Third UN Ocean Conference is not just any conference, it is a reckoning. We will demand that global ambition translates to tangible support for those who need it most: fisherfolk, coastal women, and Indigenous communities.

Mga kababayan, ang daluyong ang ating alon at sandata—a force that cannot be ignored. Let us become that unstoppable tide.

To local governments: Follow Antique’s lead. Pass ordinances banning single-use plastics. Allocate your budgets to climate resilience programs and marine sanctuaries.

To businesses: Innovate. Invest in the blue economy that harmonizes profit with
planetary health.

To scientists: Partner with communities. Let data meet tradition in designing solutions.

To the youth: Lead with passion. Your future is non-negotiable.

To all: Remember that we cannot prosper if we do not care. Let us care fiercely, act urgently, and rise together.

Centuries ago, our ancestors navigated these seas using the stars, the waves, and the wisdom of the wind.

Today, we face a new voyage, one that demands we chart a course from exploitation to reverence.

As we leave Pandan, let us carry Antique’s spirit to Nice and beyond. Let the world know: The Philippines will not retreat. We carry a simple truth: The ocean is a solution. It is our bridge to each other, to survival, to legacy.

Duro duro gid nga salamat at isang luntiang Pilipinas sa ating lahat!