The Verde Island Passage, and our blue economy

You say the Verde Island Passage, and it’s a safe bet that a number of people will just stare back at you, and not really have an inkling of what you’re referring to.

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Even if you give them the hint of it being a place in the Philippines, the best you could hope for would be a lucky guess - unless they’re passionately into the environment, and/or advocate marine biodiversity and conservation. So to discover that a forum on the Passage, with top-name oceanographers, scientists, governance experts, and private sector supporters, was happening here in Manila, came as something of a surprise.

It was held on Sept. 15 at the Diamond Hotel Manila, and was entitled Apex of Hope: Securing a Nature-Positive Future for the Verde Island Passage, and the prime mover for the forum was former DENR Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga. And so you’re not kept in suspense, the Verde Island Passage (VIP) is a vital marine corridor linking the West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It’s considered central to trade and culture, dating back to pre-Hispanic settlements and the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. And it remains crucial to our country’s food security, to energy, and economic security.