Area-Based Marine Protection in the Philippines The MPA Experience

The Philippines has had a long history of using marine protected areas (MPAs) to achieve fishery and biodiversity conservation goals. MPAs are "clearly defined geographical spaces, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values." Within the scope of these definitions, Philippine MPAs have taken the form of "no-take" marine sanctuaries, marine reserves where both extractive and non-extractive activities are allowed but regulated, and marine parks and protected seascapes, where various uses are relegated to defined zones. Interestingly, the country was able to develop a unique legal framework that took into consideration both national and local contexts for marine environmental governance. This article thus aims to shed some light on the Philippine experience, emphasizing the various issues and concerns caused by the unique regulatory and governance set up of the country's MPAs.