Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Raine Musñgi

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The proposed Blue Economy Act has cleared the House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate, bringing the Philippines closer to its most sweeping overhaul of ocean governance in decades.If enacted, the measure would do far more than create another government program. It would establish a single body to coordinate decisions now spread across multiple agencies, determine where future investments can take place, identify which marine areas must remain protected, and provide a long-term roadmap for managing an economy that already contributes more than ₱1 trillion a year and supports 2.46 million Filipino jobs.For businesses, the proposed law promises greater regulatory certainty. For coastal communities, it aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection. For government, it could finally end years of overlapping policies that have complicated decision-making across one of the country&#x27;s most valuable economic assets.&quot;The Philippines is blessed to have one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones in the region,&quot; Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) Undersecretary Glenda Rumohr said during an interview on ANC&#x27;s Business Outlook.&quot;As an archipelagic nation, we should be at the forefront of having that Blue Economy framework to be able to sustainably use our ocean resources.&quot;<div> </div><div>A ₱1-trillion economy still operating without a single playbook</div>The urgency is no longer theoretical.The Philippine Statistics Authority&#x27;s latest Ocean Economy Satellite Accounts show the country&#x27;s ocean economy generated ₱1.08 trillion in gross value added in 2025, equivalent to 3.8 percent of the country&#x27;s gross domestic product, while growing 5.3 percent year on year.Just as significant, ocean-based industries employed 2.46 million Filipinos, or roughly one in every 20 employed workers in the country. Employment grew 3.4 percent from 2024, highlighting the sector&#x27;s expanding role in the national economy.Ocean fishing remained the largest contributor to the ocean economy, accounting for 24.1 percent of total gross value added, followed by the manufacture of ocean-based products at 21.3 percent, and sea transport and storage at 16.3 percent.Those figures, Rumohr said, represent only a fraction of what the country could achieve.&quot;We can do so much more if we actually have that Blue Economy framework that would unlock the full potential of our marine resources,&quot; she said.While the government has not identified specific investment projects waiting for the legislation, officials say the measure is intended to provide clearer rules for industries such as fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, ports, coastal tourism and other ocean-based enterprises that currently navigate multiple regulatory regimes.<div> </div><div>What changes on Day One?</div>Unlike many major reforms that begin only after a law is enacted, DepDev has already started laying the groundwork.Rumohr said the department has convened local governments, national agencies, academic institutions and civil society organizations to begin drafting the country&#x27;s long-term ocean development strategy instead of waiting for Congress to act.&quot;We don&#x27;t want to wait for the Blue Economy bill to be passed before we come up with the framework,&quot; she said.The consultations have already identified eight priority pillars that will guide implementation: science and data, ocean governance, territory and security, finance and growth, climate resilience, ocean health, social inclusion, and enabling innovation.That means much of the policy work could already be in place once the proposed law is enacted.Who will lose power under the new system?Perhaps the biggest change is not about money. It is about who gets to make the final decision.Today, responsibility for Philippine waters is divided among agencies overseeing fisheries, environmental protection, shipping, tourism, local governments and economic planning. While each agency performs a distinct mandate, the absence of a unified national strategy has often resulted in overlapping responsibilities and fragmented implementation.&quot;Although we don&#x27;t have a national framework yet, we already have Blue Economy activities ongoing,&quot; Rumohr said, pointing out that both national and local governments already implement programs independently.The proposed law would consolidate strategic coordination through a Blue Economy Council, chaired by the Executive Secretary and co-chaired by DepDev and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.When asked who would ultimately &quot;take the lead&quot; whenever government priorities collide, Rumohr said the council is intended to become the government&#x27;s highest coordinating body.&quot;It would be the role of that council,&quot; she said.&quot;It&#x27;s better to have a council that is high level so that the decision-making process would be easier and smoother.&quot;The change could also make life easier for investors.&quot;One of the challenges when you have fragmented policies and legislation is that it results into unintended confusion, not only to our people... but also to our investors,&quot; Rumohr said.<div> </div><div>Redrawing the country&#x27;s economic map at sea</div>Another cornerstone of the proposed law is marine spatial planning, effectively creating a zoning system for Philippine waters.Instead of treating the country&#x27;s seas as a single economic space, the government wants to identify where industries can responsibly expand and where ecosystems should remain permanently protected.The approach could eventually guide decisions involving aquaculture, fisheries, maritime transport, tourism, ports and other marine industries, while reducing conflicts among competing users of the country&#x27;s waters.&quot;When we have that in place, we will be able to identify areas in our ocean that are up for development and which are supposed to be the subject of conservation and preservation,&quot; Rumohr said.She stressed that the government&#x27;s objective is not simply to generate more revenue.&quot;What we want people to understand is that we&#x27;re coming with an integrated and inclusive framework. That includes not only generating revenues for the country, but also protecting and conserving our marine resources.&quot;Rumohr also emphasized that the proposed law should not come at the expense of small fishing communities.She said the framework seeks to strengthen sectors such as aquaculture while ensuring that fisherfolk continue to receive an equitable share of the benefits from future development.<div> </div><div>Beyond business, a question of national strategy</div>One of the eight pillars emerging from DepDev&#x27;s policy consultations extends beyond economics: territory and security.Although Rumohr did not directly discuss the West Philippine Sea during the interview, the inclusion of territorial governance alongside investment, sustainability and innovation reflects the government&#x27;s broader view that managing Philippine waters is also a matter of national interest.For an archipelagic nation with sovereign rights over one of the region&#x27;s largest Exclusive Economic Zones, decisions about where to develop, conserve and regulate marine resources inevitably shape how the country exercises those rights over the long term.While the proposed law is primarily designed to improve economic coordination, protect marine ecosystems and attract responsible investment, it could also strengthen the Philippines&#x27; long-term stewardship of its maritime domain, including areas where resource management, food security, environmental protection and national interests increasingly intersect.Ultimately, however, Rumohr said success should not be measured only by investment figures or economic output.&quot;I think one measure of success is if we already achieved our vision, &#x27;Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na Buhay para sa Bawat Pilipino.&#x27;&quot;&quot;We need to remember that there are faces behind these numbers, and that&#x27;s what matters.&quot;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYbrlB1BcRY">Catch the full interview</a> with Undersecretary Glenda Rumohr on Business Outlook and on YouTube with ANC 24/7.

The proposed Blue Economy Act has cleared the House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate, bringing the Philippines closer to its most sweeping overhaul of ocean governance in decades.

The proposed Blue Economy Act has cleared the House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate, bringing the Philippines closer to its most sweeping overhaul of ocean governance in decades.

'Blue Economy' bill nears Senate hurdle: New law could unlock ₱1-trillion ocean economy

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'Blue Economy' bill nears Senate hurdle: New law could unlock ₱1-trillion ocean economy

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 01, 2026 10:44 PM PHT

Read More:

Blue Economy Act

ocean

natural resources

DepDev

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