A lot of us might not be aware that our economic foundation is much bigger than commonly believed, primarily due to overlooking the fact that four-fifths of our total area consists of water and just one-fifth comprises land. Given that we have 7,641 islands, we rank as the second-largest group of islands globally after Indonesia which has 17,508. Stretching over 37,800 kilometers, our shoreline ranks among the top five longest worldwide. Out of our 82 provinces, 67 are located near coasts; similarly, most cities and municipalities share this characteristic, with about two-thirds of our populace residing close to these shores. Additionally, inland regions feature 421 major rivers alongside 221 sizable lakes. These bodies contribute significantly by supplying approximately half of our drinkable water resources, supporting agricultural needs, industrial activities, and generating roughly between eight to nine percent of our electrical energy via hydropower facilities.
I vividly remember how Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, even when she was no longer with us, would kindly tease me during my tenure at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) throughout much of the 1990s, saying that we were overly fixated on our terrestrial economy in our economic strategies. She may have been one of the earliest high-ranking officials to advocate for an island-centric approach in our developmental plans and contended that concentrating solely on land-based initiatives overlooked a significant portion of our genuine economic assets. Her viewpoint proved accurate over time.
Decades afterward, ASEAN leaders announced the 2021 Declaration on the Blue Economy. This term signifies the environmentally responsible utilization of oceans, coasts, and freshwater systems for fostering economic progress, securing livelihoods, and generating employment opportunities. It also supports the "sustainable, resilient, and equitable exploitation, administration, oversight, and preservation" of marine areas and related aquatic ecosystems within the region.
Indonesia and Malaysia swiftly followed suit. The Twelfth Malaysia Plan (2021-2025) outlined the creation of a blue economy blueprint (pp. 8-23), set to be completed this year. In mid-2023, Indonesia implemented its Blue Economy Roadmap 2023-2045. Meanwhile, the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 references the blue economy multiple times solely within the realm of fisheries; however, it fails to fully acknowledge its extensive impact and role in driving the nation’s socioeconomic progress.
Although fisheries and aquaculture dominate the blue economy, significant contributions can also be expected from various sectors such as renewable offshore energy resources including wind farms, waves, tides, and thermal conversions, along with hydroelectric power generated inland. Additionally, areas like maritime transportation and associated services, tourism and leisure activities, alongside essential support functions like marine insurance and nautical training programs add considerable value.
When considering these components collectively, the total impact of the blue economy on our country’s Gross Domestic Product for this year 2023 could surpass the approximately ₱943 billion estimated by the Philippine Statistics Authority under their "ocean economy" category. This estimate notably does not include economic outputs derived from freshwater bodies within our borders—such as income from hydropower generation, internal waterway transport systems involving lakes and rivers, tourist attractions based around them, and additional connected businesses and service providers.
Given its status as the second-largest archipelago globally, it falls upon the Philippines to emulate its peers and develop its very own Blue Economy Roadmap—particularly now that the scope of our maritime resources faces challenges. Toward this aim, the FVR Legacy Initiative alongside the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement organized a multi-sector roundtable discussion focused on the Blue Economy from March 18-19. This event brought together 166 stakeholders hailing from various backgrounds including national governmental bodies, regional councils, academic institutions, corporate entities, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Through lively debates, these attendees assessed current conditions and contributed valuable insights aimed at shaping the country’s blueprint for sustainable marine resource management—a condensed version of their deliberations was later shared with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, head of the National Maritime Council.
The roundtable talks and their findings were structured into four main categories: (1) Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Other Sea-Related Goods, (2) Blue Energy, (3) Maritime Transportation and Services, and (4) Coastal and Marine Tourism. Although these discussions could warrant an entire separate piece due to their depth, they highlighted two recurring themes throughout all sections. Firstly, active involvement from both local governments and communities plays a vital role in achieving better results. Secondly, addressing deficiencies within governance structures is essential—these include inadequate channels for communication and collaboration among relevant bodies as well as persistent issues like overlapping responsibilities or insufficient data needed to guide strategic plans and financial choices.
Following Bersamin’s instructions, the comprehensive report will shortly be handed over to the Office of the President and NEDA, which has become the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development. This department seems like the natural choice to guide the creation of our Blue Economy Roadmap moving forward.
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