PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia)

15/08/2026

On 16 July, the PRICELESS Project team had the opportunity to engage with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) - Catanduanes.

The Philippine Rise is embedded in the culture of Catanduanes, where it is known as “Kalipung-awan,” meaning loneliness from an isolated place. Beyond its cultural significance, the Philippine Rise is an important source of livelihood for fishing communities in the province.

We extend our gratitude to PENRO Catanduanes, led by Atty. Vivian D. Escoto, for the warm welcome and full support for efforts to conserve the marine resources of the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR) through the PRICELESS Project. 🌊

The PRICELESS Project is implemented by the Conservation International - Global Environment Facility, led by the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, and supported by the PEMSEA Resource Facility.

14/08/2026

Happening Now: Depok City, Indonesia — The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, the Local Government of Depok City, and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC), concludes today the Regional Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Reporting in Support of IRBM Program Development and Implementation, following five days of technical discussions, field-based learning, and practical exercises.

The Workshop brought together representatives from national and local government agencies, universities, and scientific institutions from the Project’s six participating ASEAN Member States—Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam—and technical experts from EcoFutures under the Alluvium Group.

The final sessions included the practical application of the Drivers–Pressures–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework, using field visit experiences and observations as scenarios. Through group exercises and role-playing, participants identified priority environmental issues, selected indicators, and practiced presenting monitoring information clearly and concisely for decision-makers. Participants also shared environmental monitoring and reporting approaches in their respective countries, including how environmental incidents are managed and reported.

The Workshop featured a presentation by the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia on the Integrated Big Data for Environmental Quality for Pollution and Degradation Control through AI (IBEQ-AI), a national platform for environmental data and monitoring that integrates all of Indonesia’s environmental monitoring and reporting systems, databases, and online sensors using Big Data and AI. The final day introduced participants to the Freshwater Health Index as an approach for assessing freshwater systems that combines ecological indicators with the human and social dimensions of water security.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Yonvitner, President of PNLC and Director of the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies, noted that river basins across the region face similar trends and pressures, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation among countries. He highlighted the role of State of River Basin (SoRB) reporting and relevant indicators in river basin and water resources management, and encouraged continued exchange through the PNLC and IRBM networks.



Global Environment Facility
UNDP in Asia and the Pacific
Iwlearn

14/08/2026

PRICELESS Project goes to Bicol Region for preliminary stakeholder visits

The PRICELESS Project – led by the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau, with support from the PEMSEA Resource Facility – conducted courtesy visits in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, and Catanduanes last 13 to 17 July 2026 to meet with local stakeholders of the project.

The project aims to conserve and better protect the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR), the 352,390-hectare portion within the Philippine Rise recognized for its rich marine biodiversity and economic significance.

The preliminary visits were conducted at regional and provincial local government units, government agencies, academic institutions, and fisherfolk organizations to discuss the project objectives, implementation framework, target areas, and stakeholder roles.

The PRICELESS team extends its appreciation to the DENR Bicol for the warm welcome and for supporting the initiative to better protect and conserve the PRMRR! 🌊

More at: https://pemsea.org/resources/news/priceless-project-conducts-courtesy-visits-and-preliminary-coordination-meetings

DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau
Conservation International - Global Environment Facility

14/08/2026

During its courtesy visits to local stakeholders in the Bicol Region, the PRICELESS Project met with DENR Bicol last July as part of its preliminary coordination and stakeholder engagement in preparation for the project’s regional Echo-Inception Workshop.

As a result of these engagements, Regional Executive Director Francisco E. Milla Jr., CESO III expressed strong support for the Project during the Echo-Inception Workshop, which recently concluded in Albay on 10 August 2026.

“The future of the Philippine Rise will not depend on one agency alone. It depends on all of us working together, guided by science, good governance, and a shared commitment to conservation,” Regional Executive Director Milla said.

We thank DENR Bicol for its unwavering support and commitment to the protection of the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR) through the PRICELESS Project. 🌊

The PRICELESS Project is implemented by Conservation International - Global Environment Facility, led by the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau and supported by the PEMSEA Resource Facility.

13/08/2026

𝑰𝑪𝒀𝑴𝑰 || During the month of July 2026, the PRICELESS Project conducted a series of courtesy visits and preliminary coordination meetings with local partners and stakeholders across Philippine Rise areas from Regions II, III, IV-A, and V to introduce the project and identify opportunities for collaboration in support of its implementation.

The Philippine government, led by the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau through Conservation International-Global Environment Facility (CI-GEF) and with ex*****on support from Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility, is spearheading the project to protect the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR), strengthen its governance, and promote the sustainable livelihoods of its coastal communities while ensuring the long-term health and resilience of this important marine ecosystem.

🔗Read the full story here: https://tinyurl.com/PRICELESS-PRELIM-MEETING

𝑰𝑪𝒀𝑴𝑰 || During the month of July 2026, the PRICELESS Project conducted a series of courtesy visits and preliminary coordination meetings with local partners and stakeholders across Philippine Rise areas from Regions II, III, IV-A, and V to introduce the project and identify opportunities for collaboration in support of its implementation.

The Philippine government, led by the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau through Conservation International-Global Environment Facility (CI-GEF) and with ex*****on support from PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) Resource Facility, is spearheading the project to protect the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR), strengthen its governance, and promote the sustainable livelihoods of its coastal communities while ensuring the long-term health and resilience of this important marine ecosystem.

🔗Read the full story here: https://tinyurl.com/PRICELESS-PRELIM-MEETING

12/08/2026

Happening Now: Depok City, Indonesia — The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, the Local Government of Depok City, and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers, conducts site visits as part of the Regional Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Reporting in Support of IRBM Program Development and Implementation. This activity brings together representatives from national and local government agencies, universities, and scientific institutions from the Project’s six participating ASEAN Member States—Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam—and technical experts from EcoFutures under the Alluvium Group.

As part of the Workshop’s knowledge exchange activities, the site visits provide participants with practical examples of environmental monitoring and reporting in the Ciliwung River Basin. At PT. Century Textile Industry, participants observe the industrial wastewater treatment process and the Online Realtime Waste Water Quality Monitoring System (SPARING).

Participants also join representatives of the Sahabat Ciliwung Community for an educational rafting activity along the Ciliwung River, where they are shown how to conduct water quality testing and experience water sampling firsthand, followed by a tree-planting activity.

At PDAM Tirta Asasta Depok (Regional Water Utility of Depok City), participants visit Station 63 of the Online Water Quality Monitoring System (ONLIMO), one of 347 monitoring stations in Indonesia, which is an automated and real-time system that collects water quality data to support river monitoring.

The site visits complement the Workshop’s technical discussions by providing practical learning on environmental monitoring and reporting approaches that can support IRBM implementation across the Project’s seven priority river basins.



Global Environment Facility
UNDP in Asia and the Pacific
Iwlearn

12/08/2026

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲!

During the 18th EAS Partnership Council Meeting in Singapore, youth participated in the Council’s discussions for the first time in its 18-year history, with Dr. Kenny Pang of the Singapore Institute of Technology serving as the youth delegate.

Dr. Pang called for youth engagement to move beyond participation in events toward meaningful contributions to coastal and ocean governance.

This year’s International Youth Day, under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” reminds us that while young people across the East Asian Seas region come from different countries, communities, and circumstances, they share common aspirations for meaningful participation and a sustainable future.

For Dr. Pang, meaningful youth engagement means creating pathways for young people to see how their ideas, skills, and efforts can contribute to real outcomes.

As PEMSEA works to strengthen and institutionalize youth engagement across the EAS region, the first youth participation in the EAS Partnership Council marks the beginning of bringing young people’s voices and experiences into regional decision-making. Their different experiences, knowledge, and aspirations can help broaden perspectives, inspire new approaches, and contribute to solutions that respond to the region’s diverse realities—while working toward a common vision for a sustainable future for our seas and coasts.

Giving youth a place in shaping regional priorities today is therefore also an investment in the future of the East Asian Seas—one that will be shaped by the generation now called to care for, manage, and sustain them.

📖 Read the full story here: https://tinyurl.com/pemseaiyd2026

10/08/2026

Happening Now: Depok City, Indonesia — The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, the local government of Depok City and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers convenes the Regional Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Reporting in Support of IRBM Program Development and Implementation, from 10–14 August 2026. The five-day workshop aims to strengthen regional understanding and consensus on environmental monitoring and reporting approaches that can support IRBM implementation and State of River Basin (SoRB) reporting across the Project’s seven priority river basins.

Conducted in a hybrid format, the workshop brings together representatives from the six participating ASEAN Member States: Cambodia (Department of Water Quality Management, Ministry of Environment; Kampot Provincial Department of Environment); Indonesia (Environmental Control Agency, Ministry of Environment; Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies, Institut Pertanian Bogor; Environmental Agency of Depok City; and Udayana University); Lao PDR (Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; and National University of Laos); Malaysia (Department of Irrigation and Drainage; Kedah State Water Resources Board; River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia); Philippines (Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer in Cavite; Provincial Government–Environment and Natural Resources Offices of Bataan and Pampanga; and Environmental Management Bureau Region III--Department of Environment and Natural Resources); and Viet Nam (Vietnam Environment Agency; Danang Department of Agriculture and Environment; and Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment). Technical experts from EcoFutures under the Alluvium Group are facilitating the technical sessions.

In their opening messages, representatives of the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia and the Local Government of Depok City highlighted the importance of integrated river basin management, the use of monitoring information to support policy and adaptive management, and addressing river basin challenges across administrative boundaries.

“Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen integrated management of the Ciliwung River Basin—one of our country’s most vital yet challenged river systems—by promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and practical solutions for sustainable water and ecosystem management,” said Mr. Tulus Laksono, Director of Water Quality Protection and Management, Ministry of Environment of Indonesia.

“Environmental monitoring should therefore not be regarded merely as the collection of samples and data. Monitoring results must be transformed into credible evidence that supports policy, adaptive management, accountability, and State of River Basin reporting,” emphasized Mr. Noer Adi Wardojo, Acting Deputy Minister for Environmental Pollution and Degradation Control, Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, in his opening message.

“We all know that rivers do not recognize administrative boundaries. Pollution upstream will become a problem downstream. That is why IRBM is not an option, but a necessity,” emphasized Mrs. Agung Sugiharti, Expert Staff to the Mayor of Depok City for Economic and Development Affairs, in welcoming participants to Depok City.

READ MORE: https://www.pemsea.org/resources/news/irbm-project-convenes-regional-workshop-environmental-monitoring-and-reporting



Global Environment Facility
UNDP in Asia and the Pacific
Iwlearn

05/08/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐏, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐄𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐀 🌊🇰🇭

The PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), led by Executive Director Aimee T. Gonzales, welcomed participants of the Cambodia Learning Exchange hosted by UNDP Cambodia and Biofin Philippines taking place from 3–7 August 2026.

The visit to PEMSEA, which took place in 4 August 2026 focused on PEMSEA’s Blue Carbon initiatives—specifically the development of the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP) and the key steps taken to implement it alongside existing national accounting systems. Discussions also highlighted how PEMSEA’s Regional Blue Carbon initiatives, which also include the development of biodiversity crediting guidelines, training and capacity development for local governments and learning centers to measure, monitor and manage coastal ecosystems, can support the development and implementation of National Blue Carbon Roadmaps in PEMSEA country partners like the Philippines and Cambodia. It also emphasized the role of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in advancing regional Blue Carbon and nature based solutions across the East Asian Seas.

03/08/2026

HAPPENING NOW: PRICELESS Project conducts Echo-Inception and Project Awareness Workshop in Bicol Region 🌊🪸

After a series of courtesy visits and preliminary coordination meetings with key stakeholders across project sites in Regions II, III, IV-A, and V, the Philippine Rise Integrated Conservation for Enduring Legacies through Ecosystem Support Services (PRICELESS) Project officially begins its regional Echo-Inception and Project Awareness Workshops, starting in Region V.

Today, the PRICELESS Management Unit is conducting the workshop in Camarines Norte, bringing together local DENR offices, partner government agencies, provincial government, local government units, and key stakeholders involved in the project. The workshop aims to deepen stakeholders' understanding of the Project, strengthen institutional coordination and partnerships, gather region-specific insights and recommendations, and foster shared commitment and collaboration for the successful implementation of the project.

The Project is implemented by the Conservation International - Global Environment Facility, executed by the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, and supported by the PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) Resource Facility.