The ocean makes up 70 percent of the planet’s surface. Apart from its vast, deep presence on the planet, the millions of organisms that call this place home make this abyss one of the world’s most consequential ecosystems.
This unique role and the essence of its sustainment has prompted the coining of a new term that better encompasses its value: a blue economy. Yet while the world has progressed in acknowledging the role of this blue economy, a lack of policy and urgency continues to threaten its further collapse.
Marine powerhouse
The concept of a blue economy is relatively new. The World Bank defines it as the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.”
Global recognition of the term grew following the entry into force of the United Nations (UN) High Seas Treaty on January 17 this year. The agreement laid out, among others, the regulation and equitable distribution of marine genetic resources and the framework to protect the 30 percent of global ocean areas that are beyond national jurisdiction, the high seas, through implementing marine protected areas by 2030.
The Philippines sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle and is dubbed the “center of the center of marine biodiversity,” playing a crucial role in maintaining this blue economy. Its hundred-million population benefits from its richness in marine species, as the fisheries industry provides jobs to millions of Filipinos and generates an annual production valued at 233.6 billion pesos last year.
From their important role in the Filipino diet to their status as an indicator of global biodiversity, the country’s extensive presence of marine resources positions the country as a global oceanic powerhouse.
To align with this global target to bolster and protect local blue economies, lawmakers have attempted to propose legislation to establish a blue economy council in the country. Although both houses of the 19th Congress have approved the bills on third reading, they continue to be deadlocked.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed his intent to “try again” during the 20th Congress. A comprehensive bill establishing a blue economy council and framework has already been passed in the lower house but remains in first reading at the Senate as of writing.
Troubled waters
However, while any framework can help guide the country, attaining and improving marine sustainability remains a question of priority and capability—especially if fisherfolk continue to be denied the recognition and rights they deserve as drivers of this economy.
In 2024, Filipino fisheries experts published a letter in the foremost journal Science, calling out a Supreme Court decision that allowed commercial fishers within the country’s municipal waters. As small-scale fisheries account for half of the country’s annual catch, the experts argued that making small-scale fishers share waters with commercial fishers only accelerates the decline in catch and profit.
Furthermore, the Philippines still ranks among the top 50 countries in the 2025 Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Index, with most concerns tied to corruption levels and vulnerable fish catches. Municipal fisheries production also continues to decline, dropping by 15 percent in the first quarter of 2026, compared to a ten-percent increase in commercial fisheries production in the same period.
Climate change also disproportionately affects marine ecosystems as a whole. Oceans absorb almost 90 percent of all emission-generated heat, causing changes in sea temperatures that continue to accelerate sea level rise and ecosystem degradation. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization even warns that an increase of even only two degrees Celsius could kill up to 99 percent of all coral reefs.
Oceans of opportunity
The Philippines boasts of extremely high potential to become one of the most successful and sustainable blue economies. That potential, unfortunately, will remain severely unfulfilled until a necessary sense of urgency is realized.
Apart from ensuring the passage of the long-delayed Blue Economy Bill, the government needs to trust the capabilities and prioritize the interests of its people. Marine scientists—once attacked by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources—remain underfunded. They require the necessary assets that enable them to conduct more comprehensive research.
Expanding the coverage of marine protected areas in the country from the current 1.4 percent of its total sea area will allow further regulation of human activity in vulnerable oceanic regions. Furthermore, providing local fishermen and coastal regions with the necessary security and preference is key to ensuring that sustainable production, resource demands, and habitat health are met simultaneously.
The seas that surround and intersperse between this archipelago’s 7,500-plus islands have long provided Filipinos with hope, life, and opportunity. But when we have already come to understand what these waters need from us in return, will we still be ready to dive in?