Legarda: Let PH lead in ocean protection

Senator Loren Legarda urged Filipinos to lead the way in ocean protection and climate resilience ahead of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France this June.

“We will demand that global ambition translates to tangible support for those who need it most: fisherfolk, coastal women, and indigenous communities,” Legarda said during her keynote address during ‘Daluyong ng Pagbabago: Adaptation and Resilience for Our Oceans’ forum at the University of the Philippines Visayas campus in Pandan, Antique on May 29, 2025.

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

An archipelago of 7,641 islands, the Philippines heavily depends on the seas for its identity, food, and survival.

The coastal economy contributes to 3.9% of the country’s gross domestic product, however, threats have emerged, endangering millions of lives in the process.

According to Legarda, fisheries’ catch rates have plummeted, while none of the country’s coral reefs remain in “excellent condition.

Filipinos are also among the top polluters of plastic in the world, contributing tons of waste to the world’s oceans.

“When corals die, so do fish stocks. When mangroves vanish, villages lose their shields against storms,” lamented Legarda.

“When plastic chokes our waters, it chokes our children’s future.”

The four-term senator has passed several important pieces of legislation such as the Climate Change Act of 2009, as well as the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) law.

Pending in the Senate is the Blue Economy Bill, which seeks to mandate sustainable fishing quotas, bans destructive fishing practices such as muro-ami, and allocates a percentage of coastal zones as protected areas.

“Remember that we cannot prosper if we do not care. Let us care fiercely, act urgently, and rise together,” said Legarda.

“Today, we face a new voyage, one that demands we chart a course from exploitation to reverence,” she concluded. (30)

Legarda: Dapat manguna ang Pilipinas sa pagproteka sa karagatan

Hinimok ni Senadora Loren Legarda ang mga Pilipino na manguna sa pangangalaga ng karagatan bago ang nakatakdang Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) sa Hunyo.

“We will demand that global ambition translates to tangible support for those who need it most: fisherfolk, coastal women, and indigenous communities,” sabi ni Legarda sa kanyang talumpati sa ginanap na ‘Daluyong ng Pagbabago: Adaptation and Resilience for Our Oceans’ forum sa UP Visayas campus sa Pandan, Antique.

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

Bilang kapuluan na may 7,641 na isla, malaki ang iniaasa ng bansa sa dagat para sa pagkain at kabuhayan.

Aabot sa 3.9% ng GDP ang kontribusyon ng coastal economy, ngunit lumalaki ang banta sa kaligtasan ng dagat.

Kumakaunti ang huling mga isda, wala ng coral reefs ang nasa “excellent condition,” at kabilang ang Pilipinas sa nangunguna sa plastic ocean pollution sa mundo.

“When corals die, so do fish stocks. When mangroves vanish, villages lose their shields against storms,” babala ni Legarda,

“When plastic chokes our waters, it chokes our children’s future.”

Bilang pagtugon sa mga isyu sa kalikasan, nagpasa ng mahahalagang batas si Legarda tulad ng Climate Change Act of 2009 at Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) law.

Nakabinbin sa Senado ang Blue Economy Bill na naglalayong magpatupad ng sustainable fishing quotas, nagbabawal ng mapanirang pangingisda tulad ng muro-ami, at naglalaan ng bahagi ng coastal zones bilang protected areas.

“Remember that we cannot prosper if we do not care. Let us care fiercely, act urgently, and rise together,” hamon ng senadora.

“Today, we face a new voyage, one that demands we chart a course from exploitation to reverence.” (30)