From L-R: Mr. Baxter Duane Hernandez, Investor Associate, Mana Impact Partners; Ms. Nadea Nabilla, Founder and CEO, Azura Indonesia; Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera, Climate Change Commission; Ms. Helen Reyes, Hublag Microfinance; and Mr. Michael Philipps, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Future Fish

MACTAN, CEBU — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the urgent need for science-driven policies and innovative financing to protect the highly vulnerable fisheries and aquaculture sector from escalating climate change impacts at the 2026 Seafood and Fisheries Emerging Technologies (SAFET) conference in Mactan, Cebu.

More than 300 global stakeholders, including technology developers, government officials, and industry leaders, attended the conference, which focused on strengthening the links among sustainable fisheries, seafood systems, and climate-adaptive technology.

CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera noted that sea-level rise in the Philippines is projected to be twice the historical global average, threatening coastal settlements and accelerating saltwater intrusion. Global models further project a decline of 9% to 24% in potential marine fisheries across the archipelago by 2050. 

Presenting the Philippines' National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023–2050, Herrera pointed out that the Philippines stands at the global frontline of the climate crisis, having been repeatedly ranked first in disaster risk by the World Risk Report. The NAP estimates that climate change could cost the Philippines up to $22.4 billion (₱1.4 trillion) annually by 2030 in a business as usual scenario.

“Our aquaculture infrastructure is also at risk: it is projected that a significant portion of our roads, bridges, and municipal assets will encounter extreme hazards in the coming decades, resulting in billions of pesos in direct economic losses. Additionally, our fragile marine ecosystems like coral reefs and mangroves, which generate billions of pesos in invaluable ecosystem services, are rapidly degraded by warming waters and severe weather,” Herrera said. “Inaction is no longer an option,” she added.

Under the NAP’s overarching theme, “Securing Food Supply: Nurture Nature, Sustain Livelihoods,” the CCC emphasized that agriculture, fisheries, and food security are "front and center" priorities. Protecting these sectors is not only an ecological necessity but a social imperative, as fisherfolk continue to suffer from some of the highest poverty incidence rates in the country.

During the session, Herrera said that the Philippine government is already moving from planning to implementation via the Philippine Adaptation Investment Platform (AIP), which was launched during the 2nd Adaptation Investment Forum earlier in March. Recognizing that public funds alone cannot meet the projected trillion-dollar global adaptation need by 2050, the AIP is actively seeking to crowd in private and blended finance.

The AIP aims to build a portfolio pipeline worth at least $350 million over the next five years. During a panel discussion, Herrera highlighted the importance of "blended capital"—where public and development funds are used to de-risk investments—making adaptation projects more attractive to private investors. She cited successful ground-level models, such as those implemented by Hublag Microfinance, which link marine protected areas with sustainable livelihoods, as best practice for scalable adaptation finance.

“Public funds alone cannot meet the immense challenges of climate change. The Adaptation Investment Platform and similar mechanisms help mobilize private and blended finance to de-risk investments and scale up climate resilience initiatives,” CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje affirmed.

The 2026 SAFET Conference was co-hosted with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and British Embassy Manila, with the theme “From Innovation to Implementation: Powering Responsible Fisheries, Markets, and Livelihoods.” It concluded with a call to action to transform coastal communities from "frontlines of vulnerability into beacons of climate resilience" through the combined lens of social justice, gender responsiveness, and innovative financial architecture.

SAFET was founded in 2014 as a US non-profit initiative that serves as an impartial global platform bridging the gap between technology solution providers and the needs of the seafood and fisheries sector.

The Climate Change Commission is the lead policy-making body of the government on climate change. It coordinates, monitors and evaluates government programs and works to mainstream climate change in national, local and sectoral development plans.

For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities and partnerships, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.