{"id":42420,"date":"2025-08-29T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/?post_type=press-releases&p=42420"},"modified":"2025-09-04T08:54:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:54:28","slug":"the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/","title":{"rendered":"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, the Philippines officially declared<\/a> the waters surrounding Panaon Island a Protected Seascape, preserving some of the most vibrant and biodiverse coral reefs on the planet. The protected area covers more than 60,000 hectares of ocean, supporting local livelihoods, strengthening the country\u2019s resilience to climate change, and moving the Philippines closer to its commitment to protect 30% of its land and waters by 2030.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtecting the Panaon Seascape is a global achievement in conserving a unique and vital ecosystem, while also securing the well-being of present and future generations,\u201d said Von Hernandez<\/strong>, Oceana\u2019s Vice President in the Philippines. \u201cThis is one of the rare places where coral reefs remain in excellent condition, and we now have a chance to keep them that way. This policy milestone defends marine biodiversity, enhances food security, and fights poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Located in Southern Leyte within the Coral Triangle, Panaon Island has been globally recognized by the 50 Reefs Study<\/a>, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, as part of a global portfolio of reefs most likely to survive the impacts of climate change. The Philippines\u2019 coral reefs have been steadily declining over the last 40 years. But in 2020, an Oceana-led expedition found Panaon Island was a unique exception with coral cover reaching three times the national average.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the 21-day expedition, Oceana documented a wealth of marine life including whale sharks, sea turtles, and endangered Philippine ducks. The surrounding mangroves and seagrasses, which support food security, protect against storm surges, and store climate-saving blue carbon, were also in good condition. But alongside the signs of abundance, the team found troubling evidence of overfishing, destructive fishing, and plastic pollution.<\/p>\n

\u201cPanaon is situated in an area known as a vital corridor for marine mammals. Its waters are teeming with life and provide important breeding and nursery grounds for fish, allowing marine life and people to thrive,\u201d said Nikka Oquias<\/strong>, Oceana\u2019s Marine Protected Area Campaign Lead. \u201cWith Panaon Island\u2019s designation as a national protected area, communities and resource managers now have the needed legal framework and resources to strengthen the management and protection of this area. The law also contains a site-specific provision that requires the enactment of guidelines to regulate vessel speed and protect the large marine mammals frequently transiting the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

The protected seascape integrates marine conservation with sustainable human activities that balance socio-economic development with conservation efforts. Oceana was key in consulting the local communities and worked alongside them to present these scientific findings to the Philippine government. The new law requires the development of a comprehensive management plan, created in partnership with local stakeholders, scientists, and government agencies to ensure that conservation efforts yield tangible benefits for both people and nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtecting the seas around Panaon Island helps us fishers greatly because, finally, there will be regular monitoring of our waters. This will likely increase our fish catch and boost our income since destructive fishing practices \u2014 especially from outsiders \u2014 will be controlled,\u201d shared Valdemar Mercado Jr<\/strong>., a fisher and village leader in Benit, San Ricardo town.<\/p>\n

The oceans cover more than 70% of our planet, yet only about 8% of them are currently protected, and far less are effectively protected. \u201cThe Philippines\u2019 protection of Panaon Island’s waters and reefs offers a powerful example for how governments can turn commitments into real action,\u201d said Antha Williams<\/strong>, who leads the Environment Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.\u00a0\u201cBy safeguarding one of the world\u2019s most climate-resilient reef ecosystems, the country is supporting coastal livelihoods and making vital progress toward its 30×30 target. We\u2019re proud to support efforts like the 50 Reefs Initiative, which make\u00a0this progress possible and help shine light on unique habitats in need of preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to working with local stakeholders to ensure that the Panaon Island Protected Seascape is properly protected for generations to come. Empowering communities to manage their seas sustainably should be part of the nation\u2019s blueprint against poverty and hunger,\u201d added Hernandez.<\/p>\n

Photos and b-roll from Oceana\u2019s expedition can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

# # #<\/p>\n

About Oceana\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world\u2019s wild fish catch. With more than 325 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana\u2019s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit<\/em>\u202f<\/em>Oceana.org<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/a> to learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n

About Bloomberg Ocean Initiative\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bloomberg Ocean Initiative is Bloomberg Philanthropies\u2019 effort to protect the world\u2019s ocean from climate change, overfishing, and pollution threats. Since 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies has invested $375 million to restore and protect critical ocean ecosystems to support the global goal of protecting 30% of the world\u2019s ocean by 2030. The Bloomberg Ocean Initiative supports local and global partners in advocating for data-driven solutions, community involvement, and policy change that can help safeguard marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, and the billions of people who depend on them. To date, these efforts have helped pass over 100 new policies at the local and national level that have strengthened the protection of over 11 million square miles of ocean \u2013 nearly three times the area of the United States. Learn more <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":243,"featured_media":42422,"template":"","campaign":[200,194],"ppma_author":[244,393],"class_list":["post-42420","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","campaign-corals","campaign-protect-habitat","infinite-scroll-item"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions | Oceana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Philippines has declared Panaon Island a Protected Seascape, preserving some of the most vibrant, biodiverse coral reefs on the planet.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Panaon Island declared a Protected Seascape, supporting marine life and coastal communities.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oceana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-04T12:54:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Oceana\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/\",\"name\":\"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions | Oceana\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-29T13:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-04T12:54:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Philippines has declared Panaon Island a Protected Seascape, preserving some of the most vibrant, biodiverse coral reefs on the planet.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Oceana witnessed the vibrant marine life of Panaon Island on an expedition in 2020. (Credit: Oceana \/ Danny Ocampo)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/homepage\/home\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Press Releases\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/\",\"name\":\"Oceana\",\"description\":\"We are Protecting the World's Oceans.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Oceana\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Oceana\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Oceana\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oceana\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/oceanaorg\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions | Oceana","description":"The Philippines has declared Panaon Island a Protected Seascape, preserving some of the most vibrant, biodiverse coral reefs on the planet.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions","og_description":"Panaon Island declared a Protected Seascape, supporting marine life and coastal communities.","og_url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/","og_site_name":"Oceana","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana","article_modified_time":"2025-09-04T12:54:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@Oceana","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/","name":"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions | Oceana","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-29T13:00:45+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-04T12:54:28+00:00","description":"The Philippines has declared Panaon Island a Protected Seascape, preserving some of the most vibrant, biodiverse coral reefs on the planet.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/08\/Panaon-Island-09_photo-credit_\u00a9-Oceana-Danny-Ocampo-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Oceana witnessed the vibrant marine life of Panaon Island on an expedition in 2020. (Credit: Oceana \/ Danny Ocampo)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/the-philippines-protects-biodiverse-marine-region\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/homepage\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Press Releases","item":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/press-releases\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Philippines Protects One of the Planet\u2019s Most Biodiverse Marine Regions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/","name":"Oceana","description":"We are Protecting the World's Oceans.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization","name":"Oceana","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Oceana"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana","https:\/\/x.com\/Oceana","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oceana\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/oceanaorg"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-releases\/42420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/243"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-releases\/42420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42448,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-releases\/42420\/revisions\/42448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"campaign","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campaign?post=42420"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=42420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}