(MB FILE PHOTO/PCO FACEBOOK PAGE)
Environmental group Oceana criticized President Marcos for failing to address worsening environmental and marine resource issues in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), calling the omission a missed opportunity as the country reels from climate-driven disasters.
On July 28, President Marcos delivered his fourth SONA, outlining his administration’s accomplishments and priorities before members of Congress, key government officials, and the Filipino people.
“Communities, coastal and not, braced for strong winds and incessant rains recently. These caused flooding, damage to lives and property, tens of deaths that could have been avoided, and the list goes on,” Oceana said in a statement.
“Sadly, nothing in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) tackled the strategic solution of protecting our natural life support system. He overlooked vital issues concerning the environment, particularly our marine and fisheries resources that are vital sources of people’s food and livelihood security,” it added.
Oceana, the largest international advocacy group dedicated to ocean conservation, noted that the Chief Executive’s over-an-hour-long SONA failed to acknowledge key threats to the country’s marine ecosystems, including the dwindling fish catch and continued exploitation of coastal waters.
The group emphasized that these issues are not just environmental but also humanitarian, especially for poor fishing communities who are directly affected by climate change and declining ocean health.
“These issues extend beyond environmental concerns; they are essential for economic survival, access to nutritious food, and fulfilling Filipinos’ constitutional right to a balanced and healthy ecology,” it said.
Oceana’s acting vice president, Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, urged the government to take decisive action by supporting pending legislation and enforcing environmental protections.
She called on the administration to take firm action against commercial fishing within the 15-kilometer municipal waters and to enforce the Constitutional guarantee granting subsistence fisherfolk priority access to these traditional fishing grounds.