MANILA, 1 June 2020 – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the importance of preserving the coastal and marine resources to ensure the sustainable sources of goods and services during the online forum, “The Great Web: COVID-19, Climate Change, and The Ocean”, a knowledge-for-action webinar on COVID-19, climate emergency and ocean conservation.

In observance of the Month of the Ocean, Climate Change Commissioner Noel Antonio V. Gaerlan said that the public should give preferential attention in reinforcing, observing, and developing coastal and marine activities to facilitate the conservation, rehabilitation, and sustainable management of the Philippine coastal and marine resources.

During his intervention, Comm. Gaerlan also highlighted the value of the coastal and marine resources in the field of medicine and in providing services for the health sector.

Among the resources speakers for today’s online forum were Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Balik Scientist and Director of Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology of the University of San Agustin Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay; Department of Agriculture – National Fisheries Research and Development Institute Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos; and Associate Vice President and Research and Global Relations Director of the Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (CND3) of the University of San Agustin, Dr. Jonel P. Saludes.

Dr. Dalisay and Dr. Saludes, both of the University of San Agustin, discussed the “Cures from Beneath Ebb and Swell of the Ocean” which highlighted the contribution of marine ecosystem in public health and the discovery of antibiotics from beneficial bacteria that could possibly treat secondary bacterial infections.

Dr. Dalisay also shared that the marine environment is a very dynamic and fascinating ecosystem of diverse organisms that are continuously interacting with themselves and with their environment. These organisms are said to develop strategies to live, thrive and survive in the competitive environment.

“Why is the marine ecosystem important to our discovery? As we all know, oceans occupy 71% of the Earth’s surface, and hold 97% of the Earth’s water and nearly 87% of life which is essentially unexplored and untouched life forms, and is a great source of undiscovered organisms, including microorganisms," said Dr. Dalisay.

During the open forum, Dr. Saludes emphasized the importance of raising awareness and educating the public in effectively implementing environmental policies.

“The country does not lack laws; we have a stockpile of laws to protect our biodiversity,  whether that’s on wildlife, marine resources, plants, natural products, and many more to protect biopiracy. In my opinion, what we lack is awareness among ourselves. What do we do to protect and implement those laws? I believe, educating our fellow Filipinos is the key to this, if not the lack of laws," said Dr. Saludes.

Dr. Santos, an ocean and marine conservation advocate, discussed the importance of fisheries in the Philippine economy and how climate change affects the livelihood of local fisherfolks.

"The Philippines is always ranked top 10 in terms of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change simply because we have exposure to natural hazards, typhoons, flooding, and many more. Our systems are very sensitive right now, meaning there's a lot of pollution, degradation in our reef system, and our adaptive capacities are very low. Seventy percent of the communities in coastal areas, a lot of them are fisherfolks, are considered the poorest of the poor in our country,” he emphasized.

Dr. Santos added that mobilizing protection and conservation efforts are necessary in order to maintain a healthy marine biodiversity that is resilient to climate change. He also noted that while the country needs to address the Covid-19 pandemic, the public should not forget the big picture with the larger issues that the country needs to think about, related to climate change.

Atty. Gamboa, who served as the moderator of the online forum, stated that the ocean plays a great role in the web of life, especially in putting balance to the environment, climate and health of human beings.

“This is actually part of the celebration of the Month of the Ocean, and we would like to highlight the many uses and services of the coastal and marine ecosystem that does not only provide us with leisure and food, but also plays a great role when we talk about public health. Especially now that we are all in the midst of a public health emergency,” Atty. Gamboa concluded.

This online forum is a partnership between the CCC and RARE Philippines, with support from the Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology and CND3 of the University of San Agustin, and the Department of Agriculture – National Fisheries Research and Development Institute.