Decisive action is needed to protect 150,000 Filipinos from being displaced due to sea-level rise and avert further deterioration of the country’s waters that could cost P18 billion in economic losses, Sen. Loren Legarda said on Wednesday.
The senator from the province of Antique called on all stakeholders for a swift and united effort to protect the oceans in a bid to safeguard the livelihood of more than 2 million Filipinos.
Speaking at the Department of Foreign Affairs Ocean Talk held at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) auditorium in Pasay City, Legarda said that the ocean is “the soul of our archipelago,” which sustains livelihood to about 2.24 million Filipinos, contributing some P787 billion yearly to the economy.
Without decisive action, by the year 2040, the rising sea level could displace about 150,000 Filipinos and cause more than P18 billion in economic losses, while more than 4 million metric tons of mismanaged plastic waste each year poison the country’s waters and food chain, she warned.
“Climate harm is a breach of legal duty, and protecting our oceans is central to human dignity, security, and peace,” Legarda said, as she cited an International Court of Justice’s recent Advisory Opinion affirming the binding responsibility of states to prevent, reduce, and redress climate damage.
She said that “strong words” in conference halls must translate into tangible action at the community level, with an empowered local government enforcing sustainable fishing, protecting mangroves, expanding marine protected areas and addressing threats such as illegal fishing and poor waste management.
Legarda also called for a broad cultural shift towards “ocean literacy” as she urged Filipinos to view the seas as a shared inheritance rather than a boundless resource.
“The fight for our oceans demands unprecedented cooperation. Civil society must keep us accountable. The academe must guide us with sound science. The private sector must make sustainability the standard, the wisdom of our indigenous peoples and local communities must be valued. And the youth should use their creativity to change the tide,” she said.
“Our most significant victories are yet to be won, if we dare to do more, together,” she added.
