“The oceans are the planet’s last great living wilderness, man’s only remaining frontier on Earth, and perhaps his last chance to prove himself a rational species.” — John L. Culliney
On the 3 October 2023, experts from various government agencies were invited to reemphasize the important of the ocean to the future of the Philippines. SDG Dean, Dr. Gary Dionisio, first started with the opening remarks for the event. The next speaker was Ms. Vivian Ilarina, assistant national statistician at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). She talked about the Philippines’ resources from a statistical perspective and how information generated by PSA may be interpreted by users. Mr. Raymond Samson, a geologist under the Department of Energy (DOE), then discussed the prospects and issues of hydropower energy in the Philippines.
His presentation was followed by Dr. Rogel Santos, OIC-Chief of Marine Geological Survey Division at DOE, who gave the audience an overview of the Philippine’s Marine Mineral Resources. Further, Ms. Kat Toloso, a senior advisor of Waypoints, talked about the critical reasons for why more attention must be given to strengthening maritime civil governance, among others, to address key security challenges. Lastly, Professor Denise Ann Suarez of SDG responded by emphasizing the importance of the Philippine maritime. She also encouraged SDG students to pursue self-development through learning from class discussions.
A question and answer (Q&A) portion was allotted for students with other questions and clarifications about the Philippine maritime area. After the said portion, the LEAD pledged to “remain resolute in support to advance the cause of comprehensive maritime governance in the Philippines” in their maritime manifesto. The event was then concluded with a Closing Remark from DIA Chairperson, Catherine Samaniego.
