Source: Manila Bulletin
President Arroyo leads a cast of local officials - among them Susan Jackson of the ISSF, that would help craft a viable plan to promote the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) forged years ago to preserve 30 percent of the world’s coral reefs and the spawning grounds of tuna.
Arroyo will keynote the meet, with the theme “New Partnerships for Sustainable Growth in the Coral Triangle,†with the following in attendance: Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap; Environment Secretary Eleazar P. Quinto; Environment Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi; Dr. Lida Pet-Soede of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Coral Triangle Program Vince Perez, chief executive officer (CEO), Alternergy Systems, and chairman of Merritt Partners; Blane Olson of ANOVA, and; Susan Jackson, president of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation.
The Coral Triangle Business Summit opened Tuesday morning and would end Wednesday.
Organizers said they are hopeful that the meet would be participated in by representatives from more than 100 businesses as well as non-government and international development organizations.
Organized by the Philippine government and WWF, with the assistance of US Agency for International Development (USAID), the summit will outline pathways and networking opportunities for key sectors in the Coral Triangle interested in reducing their ecological footprint.
It will also provide a platform for financial support and investment for businesses willing to commit to sustainability and green growth.
“There is a growing demand for seafood and other marine products from this region, as well as increased tourism, coastal development and oil and gas interests, all driven by exploding population growth and increasing affluence,†said Soede, the head of the WWF Coral Triangle Program.
“Business leaders therefore have a central role to play in the protection and on-going management of this unique and important marine environment. Thankfully there are emerging opportunities for businesses willing to operate more responsibly, and growing demands from consumers for greener products. This summit will help businesses leaders identify what some of those opportunities are,†Soede added.