In 2016, Sulubaaï Foundation, a Filipino-French NGO based in Palawan, established a small 4.5-hectare island named Pangatalan as its first Marine Protected Area dedicated to conserving marine life and ecosystems. Fast forward to 2025, the foundation’s work has expanded into a community-led network of MPAs that gained international recognition for its exceptional marine biodiversity conservation efforts. The Shark Fin Bay MPA Network, now comprising five MPAs, was awarded a gold-level Blue Park Award presented by the Marine Conservation Institute during the 3rd UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, on June 12, 2025. Home to flourishing tropical coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests, it’s now the fourth Blue Park in the Philippines, following Siete Pecados Marine Park in 2024, Apo Reef Natural Park in 2022, and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in 2017.

Peña, D. (2025, July 28). Regenerating the ocean by listening to the sea and the locals who call it home. The Philippine Star, p. J2.