Legarda: Let PH lead in ocean protection
Loren Legarda
MANILA, Philippines – 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.
READ: Legarda reaffirms Manila call to action, charts PH ocean-climate policy
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.
