Stakeholders Converge to Unlock Investment for Philippine Mangrove Restoration

Manila, Philippines (October 17, 2025) – ADFIAP, through its consulting and advisory services, as local partner to Global Factor, presented pivotal findings from a UNDP-commissioned study at the “Development Program Mangrove Positive Finance Workshop” held at Marco Polo Hotel Ortigas.

The workshop, organized by the Mangrove Breakthrough in collaboration with UNDP Philippines under its “Accessing Green and Climate Finance – Nature-Based Solutions Project,” united financial institutions, policymakers, and conservation experts to catalyze finance for mangrove ecosystem restoration.

Workshop Focus: Scaling Mangrove-Positive Finance

The workshop addressed the urgent need to mobilize capital toward achieving the Mangrove Breakthrough target of securing the future of 15 million hectares of mangroves globally by 2030. Key objectives included:

• Identifying barriers to private investment in Philippine mangrove conservation/restoration.
• Exploring innovative finance mechanisms (e.g., blue bonds, carbon credits, blended finance).
• Aligning national strategies with global mangrove protection goals.
• Validating findings from the UNDP-commissioned study on nature-based solutions (NbS) finance.

Participants included representatives from the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), commercial banks, impact investors, NGOs, and international bodies.

ADFIAP Highlights UNDP Study Insights

As the local implementing partner for the UNDP Philippines study (conducted with Global Factor International Consultants), ADFIAP presented critical diagnostics on the NbS financing landscape, highlighting:

• Finance Gap: Significant under investment in mangrove restoration despite their proven role in coastal protection, carbon sequestration (~4x more CO2/year than tropical forests), and biodiversity.
• Policy Synergies: How regulatory frameworks (e.g., Sustainable Finance Framework, National Climate Change Action Plan) can better integrate mangrove conservation¹⁴.
• Bankable Projects: The need for standardized metrics, risk-sharing facilities, and capacity building to develop investible mangrove projects.
• Local Context: Challenges specific to the Philippines, including land tenure, community engagement, and monitoring protocols.

“Transforming mangrove conservation from a cost center to an investible opportunity requires de-risking instruments, clear revenue models (e.g., blue carbon credits), and strong public-private partnerships. Our study provides the baseline to build these bridges,” stated Mr. Victor C. Abainza, ADFIAP Senior Consultant, during the workshop presentation.

Outcomes and Next Steps

The workshop generated concrete momentum, including:

• Consensus on prioritizing mangrove-positive finance within national sustainable finance taxonomies.
• Commitment to develop pilot investment pipelines for scalable mangrove projects.
• Validation of the UNDP study data to inform the Philippines’ NbS finance roadmap.