TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region VIII’s Blue Economy Reinvigoration in the Visayas (BLUER Visayas) project has emerged as the region’s top priority project endorsed by the Regional Development Council in Eastern Visayas (RDC-8).
The project puts the spotlight on one of the Visayas’ most valuable yet vulnerable assets- the sea. Its funding requirement is pegged at a total of P201.9 million, needing P67.1 million from it for the project’s cost in 2028.
The Blue Economy is of urgent concern for the Visayas regions of Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas with its heavy reliance on the seas for sustenance and economic prosperity.
Visayas, located at the heart of the Philippines is considered to be an archipelago within an archipelago. Unlike Luzon and Mindanao, the Visayas is composed of many islands where the main mode of transportation is through the sea.
BLUER Visayas is a program designed to strengthen these archipelagic characteristics within four key industries: fisheries, tourism, maritime transport, and marine-based products.
DOST-8 Regional Director John Glenn Ocaña describes the program as one aimed at harnessing science, technology, and innovation (STI) to improve productivity and competitiveness in these key industries while minimizing their environmental impact.
“It will also promote the use of green energy, support sustainable practices, and help reduce inequalities among vulnerable and disadvantaged small-island communities,” Ocaña said.
For millions of people, the sea provides a living.
Fishing and other marine-based activities remain important sources of income, particularly for coastal and small-island communities. At the same time, the region’s beaches, coral reefs, islands, and other marine resources continue to draw tourists from the Philippines and abroad.
However, the same seas that give the Visayas its rich blue economy also exposes many communities to risks.
Small island and coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to typhoons, storm surges, flooding, sea-level rise, and other natural hazards. Limited access to infrastructure, technology, markets, and basic services can further deepen the challenges faced by disadvantaged communities.
This makes strengthening the blue economy not simply an economic concern but an urgent development priority.
RDC 8’s endorsement of BLUER Visayas as Eastern Visayas’ top priority project underscores the importance of investing in initiatives that respond to the distinct geographical and economic realities of the Visayas and reflects a broader development direction where economic growth is anchored on resilience and sustainability.
BLUER Visayas offers a science- and technology-driven pathway toward the goal where blue economy becomes not only a source of livelihood and prosperity but also a foundation for resilient island communities.
The initiative is anchored on AmBisyon Natin 2040 and aligned with the DOST’s four strategies supporting the 8-point Agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. These strategies focus on promoting human well-being, creating wealth, protecting wealth, and ensuring sustainability.
(AHLETTE C. REYES,PIA Leyte)
