Kalalawdan Fellowship Program for marine science research and policy was launched

Featured image: THE FIRST BATCH. The 20 Lawod Fellows with their Lawod Advisers. They are joined by the Country Representative of the Philippines for the Asia Foundation, Sam Chittick; Dean for the UP Diliman College of Science, Dr. Giovanni Tapang; Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu; DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga; TESDA Director General Sec. Kiko Benitez; Executive Director for the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim; Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio; and Dr. Fernando Siringan and Dr. Deo Onda from UP MSI.

PRESS RELEASE: Dr. Deo Onda’s Project Nexus launches the Kalalawdan Fellowship Program for the development of marine scientific research and policies.

This is a press release from Project Nexus.

Science is integral to the protection, conservation, and sustainable utilization of marine resources and maritime spaces.

The Philippines, home to some of the world’s most vast and diverse marine resources, relies heavily on these resources for food security, livelihood, and ecological balance. Understanding these resources through marine scientific research (MSR) becomes increasingly important as the country progresses toward developing its Blue Economy and managing its maritime zones.

Despite the wealth of valuable data from marine scientific research, these data are not being used to inform policies. This disconnect impedes efforts to conserve and manage our marine resources and address the myriad threats they face. The lack of coordination among concerned institutions has led to the absence of a central agency dedicated to MSR activities. This has resulted in fragmented efforts preventing efficient management and progress in MSR activities in the country.

To bridge the gap between the scientific community and the policymakers, with support from the Australian Government, implemented by The Asia Foundation, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, and the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation worked together to develop the Kalalawdan Fellowship Program – an eight-month program from March to November 2024.

DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga highlighted the importance of the Fellowship Program: “It aims to bridge the gap between marine science, policy, and action by generating a cohort of systems thinkers who are able to relate their respective disciplines to the building and strengthening of our large ocean nation. This starts with mentoring individuals who are solution seekers, who must then look to the transformation of, and creation of new institutions that will see the necessary changes through.”

Kalalawdan is a Waray word that means ocean or pertaining to sea from the root word Lawod, meaning the same. The Program aims to transform marine and maritime policies by cultivating a new generation of advocates for the Philippine seas, known as Lawod Fellows, through immersive workshops guided by Lawod Advisers from known Filipino scientists to policy practitioners in the Philippines.

Ambassador HK Yu recognized the program as a creative and first-of-its-kind collaboration to address issues in marine and maritime space. She said, “We need every scientist and researcher to have that policy mindset, and we need every policy maker to have that scientist mindset.”

During the panel discussion, TESDA Director General Sec. Kiko Benitez added a critical perspective on the relationship between policy and science. He added that “It is actually opportunistic… in terms of the interface between policy and legislation on the one hand and scientific evidence-based data on the other.” His remark highlights a growing concern that the alignment of scientific research with policy goals can lead to selective use of data.

The first batch of Lawod Fellows comprises twenty (20) emerging marine scientists and policy reform advocates. They were officially introduced during the “Manginhas: A Gathering of Champions for the Philippine Seas” event, held on September 9, 2024, at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City. The gathering aims to recognize and honor the inaugural cohort of 20 fellows of the Kalalawdan Fellowship Program championing the Philippine Seas. Manginhas is a Cebuano term that means opportunities to catch – to find, collect, and gather.

For interview requests and other concerns, please contact Ms. Gina Lumauig, Media Liaison Officer of Project Nexus (ginalumauig@gmail.com).