28th Session of the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee (ICC-28) on the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development (RESAP)
PHILIPPINE STATEMENT
ICC AGENDA ITEM 2: “PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE ASIA-PACIFIC PLAN OF ACTION ON SPACE APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (2018-2030)”
delivered by
DENIS F. VILLORENTE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR
SPACE OPERATIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND INDUSTRY
PHILIPPINE SPACE AGENCY (PhilSA)
Chair and distinguished delegates,
The Philippines reaffirms its support to the regional initiative in utilizing geospatial sciences and technologies for the accelerated implementation of the second phase of the Asia Pacific Plan of Action on Sustainable Development for Asia-Pacific as called for in the Jakarta Ministerial Declaration on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific. On behalf of the Philippines, I am pleased to report the country’s accomplishments and significant progress in relation to the Plan of action, inter alia:
The Philippines remains to be the most at-risk country to extreme natural events and the negative impacts of climate change for the last three years, according to the 2024 World Risk Report. With the goal of reducing the nation’s vulnerability to natural disasters and environmental challenges, the Philippines, through the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), has various initiatives towards disaster risk reduction and resilience.
The Philippines’ National Copernicus Capacity Support Action Programme (CopPhil) aims to minimize exposure to hazards, lowering the sensitivity of resources and assets, and strengthening the adaptive capacity of systems, institutions, and communities. The CopPhil ground motion monitoring service is crucial in identifying potential hazard zones, which warrants further investigation to assess underlying causes and determine appropriate intervention measures.
We are pleased to share that the Copernicus Mirror Site of CopPhil has been installed. In partnership with the European Union Delegation in the Philippines, the European Space Agency and the Expertise France, we held a ceremonial launch of the Copernicus Mirror Site on 17 October 2024. Hosted by PhilSA, the Mirror Site is expected to increase the contribution of satellite imagery, particularly Sentinel data, to the mix of suitable and accessible data and provide relevant information for the public and policymakers.
Furthermore, the Mirror Site will strengthen the country’s ability to further utilize the Copernicus satellite imagery in areas such as assessing water quality, monitoring coastlines, mapping agricultural crops, mapping fishponds and fish pens, assessing flood damage, and identifying areas experiencing urban heat islands and other environmental degradations. We highlight that such capacity will not be limited to the Philippines alone, but also benefiting Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, in general.
We also further emphasize the significance of international cooperation in disaster management through the activation of the disaster charter during the recent oil spill in Bataan, Philippines. This collaboration of various space agencies and other space-related institutions through satellite data is made available for the benefit of disaster management.
PhilSA is also hosting the 9th Joint Project Team Meeting of Sentinel Asia, or JPTM 2024, this week, with the theme, “Harnessing Satellites and Collaboration for Regional Disaster Resilience.” JPTM is a significant platform for collaboration and innovation in our shared mission to address the pressing challenges posed by natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region. This event likewise emphasizes the power of partnership by uniting diverse stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region, to enable rapid disaster response, make informed decisions, and execute effective recovery efforts.
The Philippines is a megadiverse nation and a biodiversity hotspot. Management of natural resources therefore is imperative to design and implement appropriate conservation, protection and rehabilitation strategies. PhilSA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched the Nationwide Mangrove Mapping initiative on February 2024 to produce the Nationwide Mangrove Map for 2023 using remotely sensed images from Sentinel-2 and ALOS PALSAR2. The validation of the maps has been completed. For 2025, PhilSA will commence the nationwide mapping of coral reefs and seagrass meadows. Finally, PhilSA also organized a regular webinar series on Blue Economy from 2023 to 2024.
We also wish to provide you with the progress made in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation. PhilSA, as the National Focal Point to the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO), a network of international space actors coordinating efforts on the use of space data and technologies for climate action, takes advantage of the roles and responsibilities in the project accreditation and the access to the network for potential funding opportunities. To date, there are two (2) accredited SCO projects from the Philippines – the Drought Early Warning in the Philippines (DEW-PH) of PhilSA and Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) of University of the Philippines.
In addition, the Philippines aims to conceptualize climate change projects related to oceans and coasts, and more generally SDG 14 (life below water) in conjunction with the holding of the United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC) in Nice, France.
Additionally, we are pleased to share the progress of the Pan-Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Pollution Information Project and the Pandora Asia Network (PAPGAPI-PAN) Project in the Philippines. All four (4) Pandora instruments have been delivered to PhilSA on May 2024 and its ceremonial turnover to the local operators was held in August 2024. Representatives from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Manila joined the launch.
The installation of the Pandora instruments was completed in October 2024. The country is grateful for the opportunity to be a recipient of the Pandora instruments to comprehensively monitor the air quality across the country through both ground-based and satellite measurements.
The Philippines also participated in various capacity development programs such as “Clean Air for Blue Skies” Forum in Bangkok, Thailand; the Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) campaign spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines and NASA; and the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) Capacity Building Training Program in Bangkok, Thailand.
In line with the Asia-Pacific Plan of Action on Sustainable Development (2018–2030), we are also actively participating in the Promoting Crop Biodiversity through Innovative Space Applications (CropBio Project), led by the Aerospace Information Research Institute/Chinese Academy of Sciences in cooperation with UN ESCAP. With the goal of promoting crop diversity and agricultural sustainability in selected South-East Asia countries through innovative space application, the project will have pilot sites in the Philippines to demonstrate the capabilities of remotely sensed data in assessing our local crop diversity.
The Philippines, as an emerging space capable nation, commits to take greater heights consistent to the achievement of the sustainable development goals using space science, technology and applications to safeguard the country on different aspects. Our efforts on ensuring that space data applications are mainstreamed, aligned and consistent with the country’s development plans and programs will continue not only within our domestic capabilities but also utilizing international cooperation as a platform in building national competencies and confidence.
Thank you very much.