UP study quantifies marine value in West Philippine Sea

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) are working to determine the scientific and economic value of marine ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea. This endeavor aims to answer how the government can best maximize and protect the resources in this maritime territory, which is deeply ingrained in the minds of Filipinos as a symbol of national sovereignty amid external aggression. The project, titled “Resource Inventory, Valuation and Policy in Ecosystem Services under Threat (Re-INVEST): The Case for the West Philippine Sea,” is funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD). It comprises three components: resource assessment, resource valuation, and policy analysis and development. Completion of Projects 1 and 2 revealed a decline in coral reefs by 10.5 percent, seaweed by 8.1 percent, and seagrass by 6.5 percent from 2015 to 2020. Conversely, mangrove forests expanded by 6,001 hectares (30.6 percent) and open water increased by 23,866 hectares (0.6 percent) during the same period. The decline in coral reefs has left hard coral cover at "low" levels in four out of six surveyed sites, including the Kalayaan Island Group, signaling deteriorating underwater ecosystems, habitat loss for fish, and increased vulnerability of coastal communities to ocean hazards. Despite the expansion of mangroves, researchers noted their coastal protection benefits remain limited. Asa Jose Sajise, an economics professor at UPLB and a team leader for Project 2 of Re-INVEST, stated that these findings should not merely remain scientific knowledge but should trigger policy action. The study also highlighted the economic value of marine ecosystems. Fish species dependent on open-sea and seagrass habitats are estimated to provide P1.58 billion (approximately USD 27 million) in value to municipal fisheries. Mangroves, meanwhile, are estimated to provide P25 billion (approximately USD 430 million) in carbon sequestration services and P91 million (approximately USD 1.5 million) in coastal protection benefits to households in Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, and the provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro. Furthermore, mangroves contribute to climate change mitigation, support local food security, and offer recreational opportunities. Sajise recommended that to strengthen future marine resource management, the government should develop localized valuation guides for critical ecosystem services, invest in satellite remote sensing technologies, and accelerate the creation of monetary and ecosystem asset accounts to better monitor marine resources in the West Philippine Sea.