If you ever have siblings, you will probably be sharing a lot of things like clothes and snacks. Sometimes when you receive a bunch of chocolates, you often set aside a few pieces for your siblings to consume when they come home. Protected areas work similarly– we reserve an area to protect it for future generations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines them as geographical spaces recognized and managed for long-term conservation. The IUCN recognizes the role of effective protected areas for habitat conservation and climate change mitigation.

Introducing Protected Areas

The Philippines have nationally managed protected areas (PAs) both terrestrial and marine. Laws, proclamations, and ordinances establish PAs to address environmental destruction and climate change as well. As an archipelago, the Philippines depend on marine ecosystems for its resources and services. Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shows a disproportion of terrestrial and marine protected areas. In exploring deeper into the marine protected areas in the Philippines, we can find more of them on smaller and local scales.

In the Philippines and around the world, protected areas are found on mountain ranges, caves, coastal areas, coral reefs, and more. Protected areas are classified based on the ecosystem– terrestrial or marine, or by categories like natural parks and marine reserves.

Assistant Professor Rogelio T. Andrada II of the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, recommends that all types of ecosystems– such as marine, coastal, freshwater, upland, and lowland– must be represented. Thus, a variety of ecosystems must be protected to maximize biodiversity conservation.

But why are there fewer MPAs?

The Philippines, an archipelagic country connected by rich waters, have 235 terrestrial protected areas under the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources whilst only 40 out of 247 are marine protected areas (MPAs). Water Environment Partnership in Asia reports that the Philippines’ sea cover is over two million square kilometers. This includes the exclusive economic zone– which allows the Philippines to exclusively acquire resources and explore the waters.

Marine ecosystems are great providers of resources and services. They contribute to flood control, storm protection, and carbon sequestration– among their many services. Along with that, they are also economic spaces for food, fuel, recreation, and the like. In the advent of ecosystem destruction, marine ecosystems experience the loss of habitation and biodiversity and thus, primarily affect the resources and services they provide.

Establishing MPAs is the leading solution to this issue. By conserving and managing marine ecosystems, restoration and sustainability can be achieved. Marine reserves, sanctuaries, and parks in the Philippines and the world are in the foreground of realizing the UN SDG, Life Below Water.

Tracing back data from DENR, there are disproportionately more terrestrial PAs under DENR than marine ones in the Philippines. Asst. Prof. Andrada answers the curious question of why. The management of MPAs is much more expensive compared to terrestrial PAs. A larger budget is needed to define and manage the PA. Alongside this, specialized equipment and trained personnel are essential.

Marine ecosystems are great providers of resources and services. They contribute to flood control, storm protection, and carbon sequestration– among their many services. Along with that, they are also economic spaces for food, fuel, recreation, and the like. In the advent of ecosystem destruction, marine ecosystems experience the loss of habitation and biodiversity and thus, primarily affect the resources and services they provide.

Establishing MPAs is the leading solution to this issue. By conserving and managing marine ecosystems, restoration and sustainability can be achieved. Marine reserves, sanctuaries, and parks in the Philippines and the world are in the foreground of realizing the UN SDG, Life Below Water.

Tracing back data from DENR, there are disproportionately more terrestrial PAs under DENR than marine ones in the Philippines. Asst. Prof. Andrada answers the curious question of why. The management of MPAs is much more expensive compared to terrestrial PAs. A larger budget is needed to define and manage the PA. Alongside this, specialized equipment and trained personnel are essential.

Actually, there are more!

Surprisingly, there are more MPAs established through municipal ordinances rather than proclamations like those under DENR. On a local scale, these MPAs are relatively small and involve the stakeholders themselves. Under the Philippines Fisheries Code of 1988, community-based MPAs are established and managed by local government units.

Like the MPAs in Tinglay, Batangas, more areas around the country foster the participation of local communities in conserving and sustaining marine areas and resources. These community-based MPAs empower fishing communities and stakeholders in managing marine areas. These small areas on the map create big changes for communities.

Policies for Establishing and Sustaining PAs

Looking at the bigger scale, the Republic Act 7586, or the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992 establishes the nationally-managed MPAs. Meanwhile, the Extended NIPAS Act of 2018 (RA 11038) expanded 94 Protected Areas (PAs), making a total of 244 PAs covering about 7.76M hectares.

With the wide range of biodiversity the Philippines offers, it can be said that our country values the importance of our environment. Asst. Prof. Andrada, a licensed forester specializing in ecotourism and protected area management, shared that our country has one of the most well-crafted laws that ensure not only the protection of the environment in general but also the specific groups and categories under it. This includes ecosystem protection, marine conservation, fisheries, and many others.