Fisherfolk and environmental advocates are pressing Congress to pass legislation granting the Verde Island Passage (VIP) permanent legal protection, as communities warn that pollution, commercial fishing, industrial development and climate change continue to threaten one of the Philippines’ most important marine ecosystems.
The campaign intensified during Verde Island Passage Week, observed from September 21 to 25, with fisherfolk from coastal communities surrounding the passage joining the Protect VIP Network in a protest at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on September 24. The groups called for the passage to be declared a protected seascape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).
The Verde Island Passage covers waters around Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon. It is both an important fishing ground for coastal communities and an area recognized for its exceptional marine biodiversity.
Several measures seeking permanent protection are currently pending in Congress. In the Senate, Senate Bill 831, filed by Sen. Loren Legarda in August 2025, seeks to establish the Verde Island Passage Protected Seascape under NIPAS, with provisions covering management and funding. The measure remains pending at the committee level.
The House is also considering legislation on the passage. House Bill 10501, filed in August 2026, seeks to declare the Verde Island Passage in Batangas, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Romblon a protected area under NIPAS and is currently pending before the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Other House measures have similarly sought protected-seascape status. One proposal provides that legal protection would not automatically exclude subsistence fisherfolk, instead recognizing their dependence on marine resources and allowing regulated access in designated areas. It also calls for consultation with scientists, local communities and other stakeholders in managing the protected area.
Fisherfolk groups say protection must also safeguard the livelihoods of municipal and small-scale fishers. They are calling for stronger vessel monitoring, enforcement against illegal or destructive fishing and policies that allow coastal communities to continue accessing traditional fishing grounds under appropriate regulations.
The push comes after years of environmental pressure on the passage. The 2023 sinking of the MT Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro and its subsequent industrial fuel-oil spill affected coastal communities and marine resources around the region, adding to calls for stronger long-term protection.
Existing conservation mechanisms include a 2006 executive order directing the creation of a task force and management plan for the Verde Island Passage, as well as a 2017 agreement among provincial governments and national agencies establishing a Marine Protected Area Network and Law Enforcement Network. Environmental groups argue that a statutory NIPAS designation would provide a stronger and more permanent legal framework.
The passage is also facing pressure from industrial and energy developments, particularly the concentration of liquefied natural gas facilities in Batangas, while climate change adds further risks to fisheries and coastal ecosystems. At the same time, fisheries councils in Mimaropa have proposed stronger regional coordination through an Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council specifically for the VIP.
For fisherfolk and environmental advocates, the congressional measures represent a chance to bring conservation, economic activity and the rights of coastal communities under a single management framework. The next major step will depend on whether lawmakers advance the pending bills and establish permanent protection for the Verde Island Passage.
