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The Coral Triangle describes a marine expanse that straddles the Indian and Pacific
oceans. This area is known to environmentalists to be one of extreme abundance of marine life
and significant biodiversity. The Coral Triangle includes some or all of the land and oceanic
areas of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon
Islands, and Timor-Leste.
While these rich marine and coastal resources provide significant economic and social
benefits to 360 million residents of the Coral Triangle particularly the 120 million residents who
live on or near its coastlines. These resources are a source of food, income, recreation, and
culture. They also protect both the coastline and its residents from the damaging impacts of
extreme weather events.
CORAL TRIANGLE INITIATIVE ON CORAL REEFS, FISHERIES AND FOOD SECURITY (CTI-CFF)
The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security addresses
the threats to sustainability referred to above through a multilateral partnership that includes
the six CTI member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines,
Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
The CTI’s primary objective is safeguarding Coral Triangle coastal and marine resources
for future generations. The Philippines’ National Coordinating Committee (NCC) for the CTI is
co-chaired by DENR and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the
Department of Agriculture.
The Philippines National Coordinating Committee for the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI)
envisioned a National Plan of Action (NPOA) that addresses the issues faced by the country’s
coastal and marine resources. The country’s National Plan of Action (NPOA) for coastal and
marine resources therefore includes five goals:
All aspects of the Philippines’ NPOA are consistent with the CTI principles and
guidelines. Further, each of the five goals set out above includes appropriate strategies and
quantitative targets.
PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN FULFILLING THE FIVE CTI GOALS EMBODIED IN THE PHILIPPINES
NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION
Under Goal 1 (priority seascapes), comprise large-scale geographies that have been
prioritized for both investment and action. Under these investments and actions, best practices
are to be applied and their use expanded two seascapes have been designated. These include
the Sulu– Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion and the West Philippine Sea (or South China Sea).
For Goal 3, it include community based resource utilization and management. MPAs,
270,000 ha (2,700 km2) or 0.1% of the Philippines’ coral reefs are under some form of
protection. The target is for 2% of coral reefs to be protected by 2015, and 10% of each coral
reef and mangrove habitat to be protected by 2020. An assessment performed by the Marine
Protected Area Support Network in 2011 showed that 1,620 MPAs have been established, and
are managed locally. The MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool was used to assess
110 MPAs that together cover 7% (31,520 ha) of the Philippines’ total MPA area of 393,994 ha.
For mangroves, 57% (80,000 ha) of the remaining mangroves are under some form of
protection, and mangrove replanting activities continue in many municipalities.
There are some mangrove areas with 100% (full) protection. There has been an increase
in the number of Marine Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines’ marine biogeographic
regions in the past 2 years, except in the southeastern Philippine Sea. About two-thirds of the
Marine Key Biodiversity Areas are located in the Visayan Sea (Visayas region), with smaller
numbers located in the Sulu Sea and West Philippine Sea (or South China Sea).
Under Goal 5 (status of threatened species), action plans have been prepared for
conserving and monitoring the status of threatened species, such as sharks. Action plans are
likewise being formulated for other species under the auspices of the Turtle National Action
Plan and the Marine Mammal Action Plan. The Philippines NPOA calls for completion of species
action plans for seabirds, wrasses, and other reef fishes by 2015. Threatened species being
considered for restocking efforts include giant clams, scallops, and top shells.
Other initiatives listed in the Philippines’ NPOA relate to capacity building, sustainable
financing schemes, and public awareness. One innovative initiative is the university mentoring
program, which aims to transfer knowledge and skills from centers of excellence to institutions
of higher education. This makes the latter better equipped to assist local government units
(LGUs), particularly on the technical aspects of coastal resource management and NPOA
implementation. On sustainable financing, a range of mechanisms (e.g., payments for
ecosystem services [PES]) for generating additional funding for government agencies at both
the national and local levels have been identified. Such additional funding will enable these
governmental units to undertake activities that help fulfill the goals of the Philippines’ NPOA.
References:
1. STATE OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE: Philippines, published by Asian Development Bank (2014)
2. Coral Triangle Initiative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)