The Philippine Embassy in Korea, led by Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, participated at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7th IMDC) held in Busan, Republic of Korea from 18-23 September 2022.

The 7th IMDC is the largest and longest-running conference series dedicated to the issue of plastic pollution and marine litter.

Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela A. Ponce served as a main panelist in the opening plenary's multi-stakeholder panel discussion organized by the 7th IMDC in cooperation with the ROK Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the United Nations Environment Program, and the Korea Oceans and Environment Management Corporation. The multi-stakeholder panel aims to bring together representatives from diverse organizations to discuss their contribution to addressing the issue of plastic pollution, protecting the marine environment and the future role of each actor in this context. During the panel discussion, Assistant Secretary Ponce highlighted the Philippines' National Plan of Action for the Prevention, Reduction, and Management of Marine Litter (NPOA-ML) and emphasized that capacity-building and financing, empowerment of stakeholders, and complimentary legislative action are needed for its effective implementation. She also expressed the importance of science and evidence-based data and research in combatting the complex and multidimensional problem of marine litter.

The Philippine delegation likewise meet several Filipino participants during the conference, including environment advocate and TV personality Antoinette Taus who is also the founder of Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA), a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable programs to help solve global issues including marine debris and climate change. END