US hosts CSO summit to protect marine resources, biodiversity
MANILA — On March 3, the United States government, in partnership with more than sixty civil society organizations (CSOs), convened the first-ever CSO Summit in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan to coordinate action for marine biodiversity conservation and protection in the coastal areas of Northern Luzon, Mindoro, and Palawan that face the South China Sea.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Ryan Washburn led the CSO Summit during his visit to Palawan from March 1 to 3. This visit highlighted the U.S. government’s continued commitment to supporting local stakeholders in conserving biodiversity and protecting marine resources from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities of domestic and foreign fleets.
“As an enduring friend, partner, and ally, the United States will continue to collaborate with local stakeholders in the western Philippines to support sustainable fishing practices, strengthen food security, and advance the conservation of marine ecosystems as we work toward achieving our shared goal of inclusive growth and a free, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region,” USAID Philippines Mission Director Washburn said.Palawan 3rd District Representative Edward Hagedorn, USAID Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Senior Adviser Kathryn BookerVeloz, and representatives from academia, women’s groups, and indigenous peoples living along the seaboard also attended the Summit.
“We know that the protection and preservation of the West Philippine Sea is a herculean task that requires collective, whole-of-nation action,” Representative Hagedorn said in his remarks. “We thank the USAID Fish Right Program for leading this summit and bringing together representatives from universities, NGOs, municipal fisherfolk peoples’ organizations, commercial fishers’ associations, the private sector, co-ops, and alliances to prepare a common agenda and action plan protecting West Philippine Sea resources and addressing food security and livelihood issues.”
The CSO Summit was
organized as a follow-up to the visit of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to Palawan in November 2022 where she underscored the importance of the U.S.-Philippines partnership in creating economic opportunities and protecting coastal ecosystems
throughout the region.
While in Puerto Princesa City, USAID Philippines Mission Director Washburn and Senior Adviser BookerVeloz handed over freezers and other fish drying materials valued at Php 300,000 ($5,460) to women associations in the fishing village of Tagburos. This donation will help the local fishing community reduce post-harvest losses.