After four national mangrove conferences since 2012 and a related summit in 2019 produced nine policy recommendations to protect the country’s precarious blue carbon ecosystems but many of which remain unimplemented to date, the latest gathering of stakeholders hopes to build on what worked and forge stronger pathways forward.

Guided by the spirit of “Padayon” — a Filipino word for moving forward with purpose despite setbacks — the Philippine Mangrove Conference (PMC) 2026 on 24 to 26 March has set in motion a new chapter of science-driven, community-centered mangrove stewardship.

PMC 2026 signaled the renewed push to preserve and sustain an estimated 311,400 hectares of mangrove cover nationwide by coming up with the National Blue Carbon Action Partnership Roadmap 2026-2030 (NBCAP) that aims to institutionalize the country’s mangrove agenda under government stewardship. ZSL Philippines turned over the NBCAP to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on the final day of PMC 2026 attended by representative from government, academe, civil society, the private sector, youth and communities.

“This Roadmap reflects the Philippines’ strong commitment to advancing blue carbon accounting and delivering tangible impact for coastal communities,” said DENR Undersecretary Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh during the turnover.

“The handover of the NBCAP Roadmap to the DENR represents a turning point in advancing blue carbon action and strengthening the Philippines’ leadership in coastal conservation in the region,” added Edwina Garchitorena, country director of ZSL Philippines, which will oversee its implementation.

“The NBCAP Roadmap will provide us with an evidence-based path forward for conserving the Philippines’ rich coastal ecosystems,” added Mariglo Laririt, assistant director of DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau. “By working with our partners across various sectors, we can enhance coastal resilience, support communities, and contribute to national and global climate commitments.”

According to Laririt, the path forward begins with convening the leadership steering committee and technical working group this month. The NBCAP structure and roadmap will then be formalized through a policy instrument, either a DENR administrative order or an executive order, while a workplan will be developed in parallel and early actions already underway to sustain momentum.

Dr. Severino Salmo III, professor and scientist at Universite of the Philippines-Diliman, said the Roadmap seeks to establish the Blue Carbon Quantification Protocol as the national standard for carbon assessment, reducing costs and building nationwide capacity.

Meanwhile, PMC 2026 closed with the following sectors pledging concrete, time-bound targets for 2028:

• People’s organizations: Restore and protect local mangrove areas through sustainable livelihoods such as eco-tourism, nursery production, beekeeping, and fish processing.

• Academia: Establish provincial mangrove data hubs and a national blue carbon research agenda.

• Government agencies: Develop a unified ocean governance framework integrating mangrove ecosystems and science-based coastal management.

• Private sector: Publish integrated mangrove aquaculture protocols and restore 100 hectares of mangroves through community cohorts.

• Local governments: Expand coastal greenbelt ordinances and embed blue carbon governance into local resource management plans.

• Civil society: Establish new local conservation areas, advance the National Coastal Greenbelt Bill, and secure financing for a Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines (GMAP) secretariat.

GMAP and DENR organized PMC 2026 with the theme “Ensuring Accountable Pathways for Resilient Communities.”