Administrative and Finance Assistant, Marine - (Open to Filipino Nationals Only) - Manila

The Philippines is located within the Coral Triangle, which is a global centre of marine diversity, with diverse coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangrove and beach forests, fisheries, invertebrates, seaweeds, and marine mammals. The Philippine waters have been identified as the “center of centers” of marine shorefish biodiversity because there is a higher concentration of species per unit area in the country than anywhere in Indonesia and Wallacea. The country has nine marine biodiversity corridors which were identified based on their position as transition areas between the marine biogeographic regions and their strategic importance as gateways for the exchange of propagules and energy.

The primary government response to protect this important biodiversity has been the establishment of marine protected areas or fish sanctuaries as mandated by the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and Fisheries Code. At present, there are only 33 MPAs under NIPAS which are government managed and 1,620 under Fisheries Code which are Local Government Unit (LGU) -managed. However, overfishing and illegal fishing, pollution from coastal and commercial development, conversion, extractive industries and many more continue to pose environmental threats to the country’s fragile coastal ecosystem. Despite the number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), both state and LGU-managed, it was assessed that its current spatial coverage of the MPAs was ineffective in improving species habitat to enhance fishery productivity and biodiversity. Similarly, effective MPA management is still hindered by inadequate bio-geographic representation and spatial coverage, insufficient and unpredictable funding levels for the long-term sustainability of MPAs and an MPA system; and weak institutional framework for the identification, establishment and management of a national marine PA system and incoherent policy frameworks, mandates and strategies amongst central and local actors that inhibit the sustainable management of marine resources on a seascape basis.

To address these barriers, the DENR, in partnership with BFAR and several CSOs, will implement a 5-year project entitled “Strengthening the Marine Protected Areas to Conserve Marine Key Biodiversity Areas” which aims to strengthen the conservation, protection and management of key marine biodiversity areas in the Philippines.

Hence, to ensure that the objectives under this Project are implemented accordingly, a project management unit will be set-up in BMB. The PMU will be headed by a Project Manager which will oversee the day to day operation of the Project.

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