The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Center for Governance (CfG), concluded the 2025 Thursday Talks Series with a lecture on the interlinked challenges of marine sustainability and food security on July 17, 2025, at the DAP Virata Hall in Pasig City.
Titled “Sailing Ahead: Harnessing the Blue Economy for Food Security,” the session underscored urgent reforms in policymaking and institutional coordination to strengthen the management of Philippine marine resources. As the final installment of the series under the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Program, it built on earlier discussions on global geopolitical shifts and national maritime domain security.
Panelists discuss the blue economy’s vital role in Philippine development. (L-R) PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales, NFR Executive Director Marita Rodriguez, and UP-MSI Professor Emeritus and NAST PHL Academician Dr. Rhodora Azanza
Dr. Rhodora Azanza, Professor Emeritus of the UP Marine Science Institute (MSI) and Academician and Immediate Past President of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), detailed the country’s vast marine biodiversity and highlighted the need for sustainable aquaculture, marine spatial planning, and smart fisheries. She also called attention to the proposed Blue Economy Bill and the creation of a Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
Ada Korina Manalo-Togonon, Fisheries Cooperation Section Chief of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), presented data showing the declining productivity of the Philippine seas due to habitat degradation and overfishing, and shared DA-BFAR programs that promote aquaculture, climate-resilient livelihoods, and sustainable fisheries governance.
In the afternoon session, Aimee Gonzales, Executive Director of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and Marita Rodriguez, Executive Director of NGOs for Fisheries Reform (NFR), joined the panel and emphasized community engagement, cross-sectoral integration, and legislation to institutionalize Integrated Coastal Management and Marine Spatial Planning. The open forum also surfaced issues of reclamation, aquaculture zoning, and fragmented governance.
CBILLS scholars from the Senate and House of Representatives take part in the final session of the 2025 Thursday Talks Series.
Moderator Dr. Ma. Carmen Lagman of De La Salle University urged the participants to adopt a foresight-driven and futures-ready approach in addressing the complex challenges of the country’s seas.
In closing, DAP-CfG Policy Research Office Director Gilbert Lumantao expressed hope that the lecture would inspire inclusive, forward-thinking policies to empower coastal communities and safeguard the Philippines’ maritime heritage. He also reminded the 2025 CBILLS scholars of their pivotal role in shaping policy, research, and institutional reform.