Philippines reaffirms commitment to protect marine ecosystems

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has reaffirmed its strong commitment to protect, conserve and restore the country’s ecosystems through the recent signing of the Philippine Environmental and Natural Capital Accounting System Act.

In commemoration of Coral Triangle Day, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Gina Jamoralin and Philippine Consul General to Manado Mary Jennifer Dingal participated in the Blue Natural Capital High Level Forum co-organized by the Coral Triangle Initiative and the Blue Institute held in Manado, Indonesia.

In her intervention, Jamoralin emphasized that the Philippines treats maritime issues, such as maritime environment protection, as part and parcel of Philippine foreign policy.

The Coral Triangle is a marine area known to be the epicenter of marine biodiversity, which encompasses the seas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. It is home to diverse species of reef-building corals, marine turtles and reef fish, which sustain the world’s demand for food, livelihood and protection from threats of climate change.