15/09/2025
Is the Philippines Playing Catch‐Up While Oceans Bleed Biodiversity?
By: Roy Cabonegro - Green Normal TV News Service
The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture (DA) has reiterated its full support for the ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement—commonly called the High Seas Treaty—to protect marine biodiversity outside its jurisdiction. The treaty was adopted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on 19 June 2023 in New York.
It opened for signatures on 20 September 2023, and as of late August 2025, 55 states had ratified it; 60 ratifications are needed before it enters into force.
The Philippines, an early signatory and active negotiator, ratified in 2024 but is still awaiting Senate concurrence to complete its domestic ratification process. Department of Agriculture Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that ratification would allow the Philippines to better influence global marine policy and ensure fair access to benefits from marine genetic resources.
Under the treaty, beyond‐the‐state waters (including both the high seas water column and international seabed) would see new mechanisms: establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) via area-based management tools, stricter environmental impact assessments, capacity building, and technology transfer.
However, when measured against the Green Agenda of the Makakalikasan—especially its Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation platform—the Philippine government’s support for the treaty raises questions. Makakalikasan demands that “real protection requires more than signage and announcements,” and insists that biodiversity conservation must include enforceable, fully protected areas, local community sovereignty, and resistance to corporate exploitation.
While the BBNJ treaty offers potentially strong legal tools, it remains uncertain whether it will translate into tangible protections locally. Key ambiguities in the treaty—such as what “fair sharing” of genetic resource benefits will look like, how “area‐based management tools” will be enforced, and how activities like deep‐sea mining will be regulated—could allow continued resource extraction under weak oversight.
Critics argue that without clear, binding national measures that prioritize ecosystem integrity over short‐term economic gain, this treaty risks becoming another act of symbolic promises rather than substantial action.
In short: ratification is necessary but not sufficient. The Philippines must ensure that its Senate enacts the treaty in domestic law with strong, enforceable biodiversity safeguards that align with Makakalikasan’s call for real habitat protection, not just token conservation.
