High-level UK Delegation Visit Blue Alliance & COAST Facility in the Philippines
A high level delegation from the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) including the UK Special Representative for Nature, Ruth Davis, and Andrea Ledward, International Biodiversity and Climate Director at UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) visited Oriental Mindoro from 23 to 26 April 2026 to see first-hand how innovative finance and community-led enterprise are strengthening marine protection and coastal livelihoods in the Philippines.
Hosted by Blue Alliance, the visit highlighted progress under programmes supported by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), with investment from the UK Government’s Blue Planet Fund and other partners. The programme demonstrates how catalytic public finance can unlock sustainable revenue streams that support marine protected area (MPA) management while delivering tangible economic benefits for coastal communities.
Demonstrating Blue Alliance’s blue finance model
On 24 April in Puerto Galera, Blue Alliance presented its approach to linking conservation outcomes with mission aligned enterprise development. The delegation received briefings on two reef-positive businesses: Coral Reef Safari (sustainable ecotourism) and Aquahub (community-based aquaculture). Presentations focused on how models delivered by Blue Alliance and local partners enable cross-cutting impacts spanning conservation, economic gains, and poverty alleviation in communities while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of MPAs in Puerto Galera and Calapan. GFCR grant funding has helped de-risk and prepare the ventures for investment, unlocking concessional impact financing through the Blue Alliance impact loan facility anchored by BNP Paribas.
Community livelihoods and local partnerships in Puerto Galera
The delegation attended an awards ceremony recognising three community-based livelihood projects in Puerto Galera that have successfully repaid the catalytic capital investment provided by Blue Alliance. These initiatives aim to strengthen coastal livelihoods while reducing pressure on marine resources and supporting compliance with local MPA management measures. Puerto Galera sits within the Coral Triangle — the global centre of marine biodiversity — and its reefs support hundreds of fish and coral species that underpin local food security and the broader coastal economy. The repayment system is in place to support establishing alternative livelihoods, recognising that long-term reef health depends on communities having a genuine stake in sustainable management.
Local government representatives from Puerto Galera joined the programme, underscoring the importance of Local Government Unit–community partnerships in translating conservation financing into tangible local benefits.
Scaling sustainable livelihoods through Aquahub operations
In Calapan City, the delegation visited Blue Alliance’s Aquahub facility showcasing operational systems and value-chain approaches that support sustainable marine production and resilient livelihoods. Aquahub Philippines is a community-based aquaculture enterprise 100% owned by Blue Alliance, focusing on high-demand mangrove crabs (Scylla sp.) produced through hatchery infrastructure and community-managed sea ranching within and around Blue Alliance’s co-managed MPAs. Aquahub was presented as both a commercial enterprise and a conservation support mechanism within Blue Alliance’s broader strategy, with potential to scale operations and expand opportunities for Filipinos across project sites.
The visit also included a briefing at Silonay Mangrove Ecopark, one of Blue Alliance’s alternative livelihood initiatives.
Linkages with COAST Facility-supported communities in Pola
On 25 April, the COAST Facility facilitated a complementary site visit to Barangay Batuhan in Pola, where Andrea Ledward engaged with the community at the Bayinihan sa Batuhan Mangrove Protected Area. This offered an important opportunity to demonstrate how community-level conservation, livelihoods, and financial inclusion initiatives supported by COAST align with broader MPA sustainability objectives.
Advancing scalable solutions for MPA sustainability
Across the visit, Blue Alliance emphasised the opportunity to advance scalable, locally grounded solutions. The engagements reinforced the value of long-term partnerships among communities, local governments, civil society organisations, and international partners in delivering durable marine conservation results.
“The impact we are seeing in Oriental Mindoro demonstrates the value of aligning finance, local leadership and public-private collaboration,” said Susan Gardner, UNEP Ecosystems Division Director and Executive Board Chair of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. “With support from the Government of the United Kingdom, GFCR is advancing local solutions through partners such as Blue Alliance. This approach ensures that 30×30 implementation is as much about delivering tangible benefits to the people who depend on these ecosystems as it is about protected area designation.”
“I’m lucky in my job because I can meet people [from the local community]. I come from an island in the UK and I understand the people from the coast. Nature and people depend on each other. People and community are at the heart of the effort to look after the land and the sea.” Ruth Davis, UK Special Representative for Nature.
Blue Alliance expresses its appreciation for the Government of the UK delegation’s engagement.
