Protection for PRMRR Moves Forward: PRICELESS Inter-Agency Technical Working Group and Project Steering Committee Hold Inaugural Meetings

 

Protection for the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR) moves forward as the Philippine Rise Integrated Conservation for Enduring Legacies Through Ecosystem Support Services (PRICELESS) Project held its first Interim Inter-Agency Technical Working Group (IATWG) and Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meetings on 18-19 June 2026.

 

The PRMRR is the 352,000 hectare-portion of the Philippine Rise, the vast underwater plateau far off the northeastern coast of Luzon known for its rich biodiversity. Under Presidential Proclamation No. 489 in 2018, the PRMRR covers 302,706 hectares Multiple Use Zone (MUZ) where regulated fishing and other sustainable activities are allowed and  49,684 hectares Strict Protection Zone (SPZ) where human activity is tightly controlled.

 

The PRICELESS Project aims to ensure that the entirety of the PRMRR including its SPZ and MUZ is conserved and better managed, while facilitating the sustainable use of its marine resources and generating livelihood benefits for adjacent communities.

 

The project, implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) with support from the Conservation International (CI) and funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), was launched during its Inception Workshop last February.

 

A Global Responsibility

 

Protection to the PRMRR through the PRICELESS Project supports the Philippines’ commitment to the 30x30 global biodiversity target to protect and manage at least 30% of the Earth’s land, freshwater, and oceans by 2030.
 

 

Rocky Marcelino, Director of GEF Monitoring & Evaluation and Project Delivery of the CI-GEF Agency

 

“In the most recent estimates, the Philippines is a bit behind on its target. Hopefully, with all the efforts in the Philippine Rise – not just PRICELESS, but including the Philippine Rice Ocean Conservation Area, another GEF-funded project – we’ll be able to reach the final goal of the sprint to 2030,” said Rocky Marcelino

 

 

Mariglo Laririt, Assistant Director of the DENR-BMB

 

“While this is the Philippine Rise, and while the protection of the Philippine Rise will definitely benefit the Filipino people, this is a global responsibility. The rich resources we are protecting in the Philippine Rise are not only for our nation and the future generations of Filipinos, but for the whole world,” said Mariglo Laririt

 

 

Multisectoral and Multi-Agency Representation

 

The Interim IATWG and PSC meetings were facilitated by the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), through the Coastal and Marine Division (CMD), together with the PRICELESS Project Management Unit (PMU) hosted by the PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) Resource Facility.

 

The back-to-back meetings successfully convened the interim IATWG and PSC members, reviewed the project accomplishments and implementation progress, and provided recommendations and coordination mechanisms moving forward. At the conclusion of the meetings, the PSC formally adopted the project’s Inception Report, incorporating the comments and recommendations raised during the review. The PSC also approved the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Work Plan and Budget, as well as the Operations Manual, subject to future amendments as necessary. Further, a key outcome of the meetings was the finalization of the PSC membership.

 

Among the key outputs of the PRICELESS Project is to secure permanent protected area designation under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act of 2018 or Republic Act No. 11038, through which management authority is vested in the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). Representatives from the Interim PRMRR PAMB will constitute the project's PSC, which will provide strategic guidance and oversight for the duration of the project. The committee involves multisectoral and multi-agency representation from relevant government agencies, Congress representatives, academic institutions, and non-government organizations. 

 

Al Orolfo, Director of the DENR Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Service (FASPS)

 

"The DENR alone, and our PAMB alone, could not address the major and vital concerns in this area. We need to have this whole-of-society approach to address these concerns, and at the same time, to make sure that the next generation will enjoy these vital resources of our country,” said Al Orolfo

 

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