Rare Philippines

29/09/2026

Three more local leaders have pledged to the Coastal 500 Network! 🌊

Mayor Judy Amante of Cabadbaran City, Mayor Atty. Lawrence Fortun of Butuan City, and Mayor Napoleon Montero, M.D. of Jabonga formally joined the Network during the 28th Management Board Meeting of the Butuan Bay Development Alliance (BBDA) on September 17, 2026.

Their pledges build on the BBDA’s Coastal 500 orientation in June, where members explored how local governments could strengthen collaboration for sustainable coastal management. The Alliance later agreed to pursue a resolution encouraging its members to join the Network.

Now, three of its local leaders have turned that shared commitment into action, adding their leadership and perspectives to a growing network working to strengthen coastal governance and support communities that depend on healthy seas.

The BBDA’s experience shows how local partnerships can create pathways for leaders to connect, learn from one another, and work toward shared coastal priorities.

Welcome to the Coastal 500 Network, Mayor Amante, Mayor Fortun, and Mayor Montero! 🌊

25/09/2026

In Libertad, community science is helping turn local knowledge into better coastal management.

Following the Community Science Training on Ecosystem Assessment (CSTEA) held in April 2026, citizen scientists in Libertad, Antique put their training into practice through mangrove assessments in Barangays Union, Tinigbas, Taboc, and Centro Weste this September.

The assessments brought together Sangguniang Kabataan members, Barangay Kagawads, MFARMC and BFARMC members, and local fisherfolk associations. Together, they gathered information that will help update the municipality’s Coastal Resource Management Plan and guide decisions on mangrove management and fisheries.

The fieldwork also brought generations together. At 73, Tita Rosing joined younger citizen scientists in conducting the assessments, sharing the experience and wisdom of older community members while learning alongside the next generation of coastal stewards.

Her story and the support of the community's efforts for sustainable fisheries, reflects the true spirit of the recent celebration of the 63rd Fish Conservation Week. Their work shows what community science can make possible: local people generating data about the ecosystems they depend on, and using that knowledge to strengthen how their communities manage coastal resources.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 (𝘛𝘙𝘈𝘕𝘚𝘊𝘌𝘕𝘋) 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘛𝘙𝘈𝘕𝘚𝘊𝘌𝘕𝘋 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 (𝘐𝘒𝘐). 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘐𝘡, 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘤. (𝘊𝘐𝘗𝘍𝘐), 𝘙𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦 (𝘜𝘕-𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵), 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘜𝘕𝘐𝘋𝘖).

24/09/2026

24/09/2026

From marine ecotourism and sustainable aquaculture to ocean plastic recovery and digital food systems, five Philippine enterprises are now bringing practical solutions to some of the challenges facing our coasts, communities, and livelihoods.

They are among the five organizations selected for Blue Economy Investment Philippines (BEIP), a first-of-its-kind investment readiness program that equips coastal and marine enterprises with the tools, networks, and financing pathways to grow their businesses while advancing positive outcomes for people and nature.

Implemented by Rare, an international conservation NGO, and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Canadian government, BEIP supports enterprises demonstrating how viable businesses can contribute to healthy oceans and thriving coastal communities.

Over the next four months, they will work with investors, finance experts, and technical advisers to strengthen their governance, financial management, risk management, and impact measurement, while exploring financing pathways for their growth.

Each enterprise brings a different solution:

🦈 Malapascua Scuba Diving Eco-Adventures integrates citizen science and marine education into dive tourism.

🌾 Agro-DigitalPH connects smallholder producers to larger markets while supporting sustainable livelihoods.

♻️ Pure Oceans recycles plastic waste and turns it into circular products that create livelihood opportunities.

🐟 Kaizen AquaVentures Inc. applies technology to improve tilapia hatchery production and resource efficiency.

🌱 FishTech Aquaculture combines aquaculture innovation with mangrove restoration in Maqueda Bay.

By strengthening their business and impact models, these enterprises can move closer to investment, partnerships, and opportunities to scale their solutions. Their journey will culminate in an investor showcase in October 2026.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM AND BEIP HERE: https://rare.org/stories-articles/five-philippine-enterprises-selected-for-investment-readiness-program/

24/09/2026

17/09/2026

Protected Area (PA) Rangers serve as the front lines of environmental enforcement in the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.

From conducting LAWIN patrols and mangrove assessments to monitoring for illegal activities and engaging with violators, PA Rangers like Jay Riveral and Sadam Tanoy carry out the daily work of coastal protection: enforcing environmental laws, educating communities, and safeguarding the ecosystems that local fisherfolk depend on.

Their work is grounded in the provisions of the ENIPAS Act (RA 11038), which protects mangrove forests and other critical coastal habitats. When violations are found, PA Rangers document the incident, submit written reports, and coordinate with the DENR–TSPS Protected Area Management Office for appropriate legal or administrative action.

This kind of sustained, on-the-ground enforcement is what makes protected area management real not just on paper, but in the water and along the coastline every day.

💬 Have you met or worked with PA Rangers in your area? What's one thing you think more people should know about their work?

16/09/2026

Nine people’s organizations from across Antique joined the Fish Forever Leadership Academy (FFLA) Phase 1: Empathy on September 2–3, 2026, at the University of the Philippines Visayas Extension Campus in Antique.

Fisheries Extension Officers from Libertad, Sebaste, Bugasong, Patnongon, San Jose de Buenavista, and Anini-y worked closely with the organizations throughout the sessions, supported by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) Antique and the Antique BFAR Provincial Fisheries Office.

They explored what effective local leadership looks like, from listening to communities and building collaboration to understanding how people’s organizations can take a stronger role in sustainable fisheries. Through discussions and mentoring, participants began connecting these lessons to the priorities and realities of their own coastal communities.

The work continues in FFLA Phase 2, where the nine organizations will turn these lessons into practical, community-led solutions and action plans.

By investing in local leaders and the partnerships around them, Antique is strengthening its capacity to move sustainable fisheries forward from the community level. 🌊

16/09/2026

Nine Marine Biology students from the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) and Visayas State University (VSU) Tolosa Campus joined Rare's Internship Program and contributed to ongoing conservation and fisheries management efforts in Leyte Gulf.

Their work generated information, strengthened community activities, and supported fisheries management in several Leyte Gulf sites.

🌊 In Balangiga, Eastern Samar, the students completed a mangrove assessment in Barangay Bacjao, documenting the presence of the endangered Camptostemon philippinensis. The findings contributed to ongoing efforts toward the proposed Lawaan-Guiuan Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).

🌊 They also presented their findings and recommendations to the Municipal Government of Balangiga, helping bring field-based information into local discussions on biodiversity conservation.

🌊 Across Fish Forever sites, the students supported the formation of Fish Forever Community Educators (FishForCE), Fish Forever Savings Clubs (FFSC), and Fish Catch Data Monitoring Tools and Training—contributing to initiatives that strengthen community participation and local fisheries management.

🌊 In Guiuan, Eastern Samar, they completed the encoding of validated 2026 registration data covering more than 2,320 fisherfolk, helping strengthen the local fisheries information base.

Together with UEP, VSU Tolosa Campus, the Municipal Government of Balangiga, the Municipality of Guiuan, and coastal communities across Leyte Gulf, these initiatives show how partnerships with academic institutions can translate student learning into meaningful contributions to conservation and fisheries management. When young people have the opportunity to learn from communities, they can also bring their knowledge and skills back to help move conservation forward. 💙

15/09/2026

The DA-BFAR central and regional offices are strengthening their support to coastal LGUs so local governments can develop and implement better fisheries ordinances and coastal resource management plans for their communities.

Through the September 1 to 4 training and workshop in Pagbilao, Quezon, BFAR staff built a pool of mentors equipped to guide partner LGUs in using key fisheries management tools, including the Model Municipal Fisheries Ordinance, Fisheries Compliance Audit, and Coastal Resource Management Plan.

Participants worked through the practical foundations of this support: how BFAR currently works with LGUs and where it can be strengthened; the respective roles of BFAR and LGUs in developing and reviewing MFOs and CRM Plans; the legal frameworks behind these tools; and the data and resources needed to implement them. They also co-developed and applied a CRM Plan template and supporting tools.

The partnership also brought local experience into the discussion. During a seaside conversation, the LGUs of Agdangan, Sariaya, and Pagbilao shared their experiences in coastal resource management, including what has worked, the challenges they continue to face, and lessons that can inform support to other coastal communities.

With stronger technical support from BFAR and greater local capacity, coastal LGUs can better strengthen fisheries governance, manage their municipal waters, and protect the livelihoods of fisherfolk who depend on them.

Photo courtesy of BFAR-FRMD