Trisha Anne Segumban 

Senator Loren Legarda reaffirmed the 2015 Manila Call to Action on Climate Change during the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Ocean Talk forum on May 28, emphasizing the Philippines’ commitment to ocean and climate leadership ahead of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France. 


With support from the French Embassy, the Intramuros Administration, and Liter of Light, the event was held at the National Museum of Fine Arts and also served as the send-off for the Philippine delegation to UNOC3. 

“The Manila Call to Action is no longer just a call but a commitment, built on decades of science, law, diplomacy, and the lived realities of our people,” Legarda declared during her keynote address.

Originally launched on February 26, 2015 by Legarda, former President Benigno Aquino III, and then-French President François Hollande, the Manila Call highlighted climate solidarity and helped shape the momentum toward the Paris Agreement during the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 in December 2015. 

“The Philippines will continue to lead, not from a place of power, but from a place of purpose,” Legarda said. 

“Because we know that the ocean is not just a resource, it is our history, our heritage, our home,” she added. 

Legarda cited alarming projections, including a potential 90 percent global coral reef loss by 2050, the displacement of up to 13 million Filipinos due to sea-level rise, and a projected 50 percent decline in fish biomass in the country’s exclusive economic zone, which would threaten food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity. 

“The ocean-climate crisis is a human development crisis,” she emphasized, calling for ocean protection as a rights-based imperative, especially for vulnerable coastal communities. 

Legarda highlighted national progress, including the Philippines’ ratification of the Paris Agreement with ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and its support for the Global Ocean Alliance and the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. 

She also noted initiatives like the 100 Days for the Ocean campaign, launched with the DFA and the Climate Change Commission, which mobilized public awareness and political momentum for ocean protection and climate action. 

Legarda environmental advocacy spans landmark legislation, including RA 9729 (Climate Change Act), RA 8749 (Clean Air Act), RA 8275 (Clean Water Act), RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), RA 10174 (People’s Survival Fund Act), and RA 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act). 

“Let the Manila Call be more than a memory — let it be a mandate,” Legarda concluded, urging the international community to translate climate commitments into bold, decisive actions.”