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Our Story It's been said the Philippines is worth dying for. We believe the Philippines is worth diving for. If there were a movie made about the Philippine seas, it should be called Crazy Rich Oceans. The Philippines has been described as the center of marine biodiversity — but also the center of marine adversity. Save Philippine Seas (SPS) is a non-profit organization that aims to conserve coastal and marine resources by empowering seatizens for collective action and behavior change. We call ourselves, communities, and partners as "seatizens" to remind us that we are citizens of the sea. ​ Dive into our journey SPS began as an online platform in May 2011 as a response to a large-scale illegal wildlife trade case dubbed in the media as the “rape of the Philippine Seas.” What was meant to be a short-lived social media campaign continued to grow. In February 2013, we ofishally became a non-profit organization under the name Philippine Seatizens, Inc. 2011 SPS started as a social media campaign in response to an illegal wildlife trade case using the hashtags #reefwatchPH and #savephseas. 2013 SPS is ofishally registered as an NGO! 2015 A big year for us: we held the first four SEA Camps and Daanbantayan became the home of the first shark and ray sanctuary in the Philippines. 2020 In the midst of a pandemic, we were able to install mooring buoys in Daanbantayan, create a virtual version of Reimagine Recycling, and develop online activities like Battle of the Brain Corals. 2023 We dive back into in-person events for Change the Current 2.0, Commservation, and so much more. 2012 We began our first community-based initiative called the Shark Shelter Project in Daanbantayan, Cebu with the goal to conserve thresher sharks. 2014 We co-organized the 1st Shark Summit in Cebu and co-founded Save Sharks Network Philippines. 2019 This marks the first year of Reimagine Recycling and Haquathon, and the 11th SEA Camp. 2021 We launched major programs from our homes: the Marine Accelerator Program, Haquathon 2.0, and Change the Current! At present.. We continue to work on .. Meet the Team SPS is run by a lean team of dedicated and passionate seatizens. Our core team consists of our Executive Director, Creative Director, Project Managers, Administrative and Finance Angelfish, and Social Media Mola-Mola. Our number grows based on our program needs. We come from various backgrounds, united by our love for the seas and obsession with excellence and ocean-related puns. We take problems of our seas sea-riously, but ourselves? Never. Learn more about what we do. Environmental Education and Seatizen Participation Shark Conservation Waste Management and Circular Economy

Our Projects Solid Waste Management & Circular Economy Environmental Education & Seatizen Participation Shark Conservation Solid Waste Management & Circular Economy Circularity Assessment Protocol Circularity Informatics Lab – Jambeck Research Group University of Georgia in Collaboration with Save Our Philippine Seas Sea more Closing the Circle: Reducing Plastic Pollution and Promoting Green Businesses, ADB Circular Economy Sprint Series Sea more Circularity Assessment Protocol In partnership with the Circularity Informatics Lab – Jambeck Research Group University of Georgia Sea more Reimagine Recycling Finding solutions to waste pollution Sea more Healthy Oceans and Clean Cities Initiative (HOCCI) HOCCI aims to help local governments and communities in the Philippines reduce marine plastic pollution, in support of the implementation of the National Plan of Action on Marine Litter (NPOA-ML). Sea more Environmental Education & Seatizen Participation Haquathon Harnessing technology and our imaginocean Sea more YSEALI Marine Accelerator Program Supporting initiatives to address maritime and inland waterway issues, and improve regional cooperation. Sea more Earthducation Education we need for the Earth we deserve. Sea more Change the Current Supporting youth-led projects and empowering educators for climate mitigation and adaptation Sea more Sea and Earth Advocates (SEA) Camp Empowering young seatizens as leaders in conservation Sea more Shark Conservation Save Sharks Network Philippines Conserving Philippine sharks Sea more Shark Policies ​ Sea more Shark Shelter ​ Sea more Start a marine conversation with us. First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

< Back YSEALI Marine Accelerator Program Supporting initiatives to address maritime and inland waterway issues, and improve regional cooperation. Goal To advance the capacity of emerging conservation leaders and influencers in Southeast Asia to scale up or expand initiatives that improve regional cooperation and address maritime and inland waterway issues The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative - Marine Accelerator Program (YSEALI MAP) supported emerging leaders and youth-led, community-based initiatives in the region through a virtual capacity-building workshop, grants, and mentorship. The workshop topics of the virtual component included stakeholder analysis, monitoring and evaluation, storytelling, visual communications, and goal-setting. Participants had the opportunity to pitch for grants to grow their initiatives. From 2021-2022, YSEALI MAP supported 21 projects in the region that worked on addressing issues in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; river or marine ecosystem degradation; and marine debris. Timeline Virtual program: April-December 2021 1st batch of grantees: June 2021-February 2022 2nd batch of grantees: April 2022-October 2022 Partners in partnership with the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative and U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Participants 2021: Virtual program: 62 participants representing 33 initiatives Grantees: 11 projects in 9 countries 2022: Grantees: 10 projects in 5 countries How we made waves A total of PhP2.87 million awarded to support 21 projects in 11 countries Collectively, the projects had 7,640 offline/in-person beneficiaries and 3,681 online beneficiaries. Previous Next

< Back Haquathon Harnessing technology and our imaginocean Goal To seek and support individuals, groups, or organizations that have initiatives to address coastal- and marine-related sustainability issues. Initiatives may be a platform, software, hardware, or piece of equipment. 2019-2020 Haquathon (Manila and Cebu) The first Haquathon conducted a national search for tech-based solutions in the following themes: preventing or reducing marine pollution; illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and coastal law enforcement; coral reef conservation and restoration; and environmental education. At the end of June 2019, the finalists were brought together in Manila and Cebu for a simultaneous three-day hackathon. Eight (8) initiatives, four in Manila and four in Cebu, were selected for funding (PHP30,000-80,000). ​ 2021-2022 Haquathon 2.0 (H20) H20 built on the successes of the 1st Haquathon and expanded the call for proposals to Southeast Asia. The themes were climate change; IUU fishing; sustainable tourism; seatizen engagement; and sustainable consumption and production. Fifteen initiatives were selected to participate in a series of capacity-building sessions held virtually. Five initiatives were selected for funding of up to US$2,000. ​ The Haquathon was a project in partnership with American Spaces Philippines and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Timeline Haquathon (Manila and Cebu) June 2019-2020​ ​ Haquathon 2.0 (H20) 2021-2022 Partners The Haquathon was a project in partnership with American Spaces Philippines and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Participants Haquathon (Manila and Cebu) 36 initiatives from the Philippines ​ Haquathon 2.0 (H20) 15 initiatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam How we made waves PhP980,000 invested to support 13 projects in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia Previous Next

< Back Shark Shelter ​ Goal Protecting thresher sharks in Malapascua Island The Shark Shelter Project is as community-based, multi-stakeholder initiative based in Malapascua Island, Cebu to protect the thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) and other coastal and marine resources. Monad Shoal, a coastal seamount 8.6 kilometers away from Malapascua Island, is the only dive site in the world so far where thresher sharks can be seen almost daily due to their relationship with cleaner wrasses. From 2012-2015, the project focused on stakeholder mobilization and building the capacity of dive guides, boat crew, teachers, students. In 2015, Monad Shoal and another dive site within municipal waters, Gato Island, became the country’s first shark and ray sanctuary through an Executive Order. This led to the expansion of the project’s scale and scope by collecting socio-economic data from three coastal barangays (Logon, Maya, and Carnaza) and biophysical data from three dive sites (Monad Shoal, Chocolate Island, and Gato Island) and developing a draft of the Marine Protected Area Network Ordinance and Management Plan. In 2020, the project's focus is to install mooring buoys to demarcate the marine protected areas. Timeline Heading 2 Partners Heading 2 Previous Participants Heading 2 How we made waves Heading 2 Next

Our Advocasea Motivating seatizens by making conservation fun and relatable Collaborating with the public and private sectors and civil society Building capacity and confidence in seatizens for them to take action Be a Proud and Proactive Seatizen! Learn more and get involved by downloading these free resources. TOOLKITS LETTERS TO LEADERS INFOGRAPHICS Coral-borate with us Motivating seatizens by making conservation fun and relatable Collaborating with the public and private sectors and civil society Building capacity and confidence in seatizens for them to take action Learn more about what we do

our vision We envision a country of proud and proactive Filipino seatizens. As an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, we believe that marine conservation should be part of our daily lives. We aim to narrow the gap between scientists and the general public, the old and young, and the passionate and indifferent by making the sea’s issues accessible and relatable, and by offering an online and offline platform to empower seatizens to take action. . ​ It's been said the Philippines is worth dying for. We believe the Philippines is worth diving for. If there were a movie made about the Philippine seas, it should be called Crazy Rich Oceans. The Philippines has been described as the center of marine biodiversity — but also the center of marine adversity . Save Philippine Seas (SPS) is a non-profit organization that aims to conserve coastal and marine resources by empowering seatizens for collective action and behavior change. We call ourselves, communities, and partners as "seatizens" to remind us that we are citizens of the sea. OUR ADVOCASEA our beginning SPS began as an online platform in May 2011 as a response to a large-scale illegal wildlife trade case dubbed in the media as the “rape of the Philippine Seas.” What was meant to be a short-lived social media campaign continued to grow. In February 2013, we ofishally became a non-profit organization under the name Philippine Seatizens, Inc. our team SPS is run by a small team of dedicated and passionate seatizens. We have a core team of an Executive Director, Creative Director, Project Managers, Admin and Finance Angelfish, and Social Media Mola-Mola. Our team grows depending on our project's needs.

< Back Save Sharks Network Philippines Conserving Philippine sharks Goal ​ Save Sharks Network Philippines (SSNP) is a coalition of organizations and institutions in the Philippines’ scientific, NGO, and tourism communities working on shark and ray research and conservation. It was co-founded in 2014 by SPS, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, and Greenpeace Philippines. SSNP organizes a series of activities and creates campaigns to raise the public’s awareness on sharks, and identify issues and ways forward for the conservation, management, and utilization of sharks. It created Shark Conservation Week and the Shark Summit, starting in Cebu in 2014, followed by Dumaguete in 2016, Bohol in 2018, and Metro Manila in 2023. SSNP also led national campaigns to support the protection of sharks and rays in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). In 2017, SSNP published Pating, Saan Ka Pararating? 2020 Conservation Roadmap for Sharks and Rays in the Philippines. The roadmap is expected to propel shark and ray conservation forward in the Philippines, in hope of finding the balance between human needs and the integrity of the Philippine marine ecosystem. In 2018, SSNP launched Shark Conservation Legislation: A Toolkit for Policymakers. This Toolkit aims to provide a range of approaches to conserve, protect, and/or sustainably utilize sharks in the Philippine context. It was created by SSNP as a response to the growing number of local government units (LGUs) seeking legal instruments to protect and conserve sharks and rays in their jurisdiction. Timeline Heading 2 Partners Heading 2 Previous Participants Heading 2 How we made waves Heading 2 Next

< Back Shark Policies ​ Goal ​ ​ Timeline Heading 2 Partners Heading 2 Previous Participants Heading 2 How we made waves Heading 2 Next

< Back Earthducation Education we need for the Earth we deserve. Goal Train at least 1,500 educators by 2027 Earthducation began in 2016. It was designed for educators to (i) increase conservation literacy; (ii) instill an appreciation for nature and the immediate environment, and (iii) teach basic and transferable skills to pursue environmental education. From 2017-2019, SPS implemented Earthducation workshops in Los Baños, Bantayan Island, Malapascua Island, and Boracay Island. Change the Current (CTC) was created as a project under Earthducation to focus on climate change issues. Timeline Ongoing Partners - Participants Youth, educators, formal education system How we made waves Wait and sea! Previous Next

< Back Sea and Earth Advocates (SEA) Camp Empowering young seatizens as leaders in conservation Goal Empower youth who have potential to be leaders and changemakers in environmental and marine conservation The Sea and Earth Advocates (SEA) Camp is an intensive environmental education and leadership program that aims to raise awareness on coastal and marine issues; promote pro-environmental behavior; and build a network of emerging environmental leaders in Southeast Asia. ​ For one week, SEA Campers participate in workshops and outdoor activities. They also work on a community-based project in the SEA Camp site. All SEA Campers are then expected to pitch an environmental project or campaign that can be funded for implementation and supported with mentorship. ​ From 2015-2022, the SEA Camp was supported by U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative. There have been 11 SEA Camps and two SEA Camp Summits. Timeline 2015-2022 Partners YSEALI, US Embassy in the Philippines Participants Emerging leaders 18-23 years old ​ As of 2022, the SEA Camp has 269 alumni from 10 Southeast Asian countries. How we made waves 105 SEA Camper-led projects and campaigns that engaged 3,547 individuals and 249 businesses ₱1.5 million pesos worth of grants Previous Next

< Back Change the Current Supporting youth-led projects and empowering educators for climate mitigation and adaptation Goal Build the knowledge, skills, and confidence of educators to teach climate education that leads to action In March 2023, Change the Current (CTC) had its first run of workshops, training 142 public school teachers across the country, which will have an estimated ripple effect on nearly 6,000 students. The second run is scheduled in July. Under CTC, SPS is developing an online library of environmental education resources and a white paper on the state of climate change education in the Philippines. CTC is a project in partnership with the Department of Education-Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service and UNICEF Philippines, with support from The Marketplace. Timeline 2022-2023 Partners Department of Education-Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service and UNICEF Philippines, with support from The Marketplace. Participants 300 public school teachers How we made waves Integrating climate change education activities in different subjects and supporting 30 educator- and student-led community-based projects through micro-grants (PhP15,000) Previous Next