Flagship Program 5: Archipelagic and Oceanic Virtual University (AOVU)

UP and the Blue Frontier:
A virtual university for archipelagic and marine development studies

Written by Clariza Concordia

*A marine scientist inspects the coral reefs. Photo courtesy of UP MSI.*

In the late ‘90s, the University of the Philippines (UP) held the first-ever conference on archipelagic studies. Scholars and practitioners gathered to discuss the pressing issues of the Philippine waters, and one of the most significant raised concerns was the lack of foresight by the public and private sector in utilizing the country’s marine resources.

This conference led to the creation of the UP Archipelagic and Ocean Studies (ARCOAST) Network, a project by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS). The system-wide network played a significant role in promoting archipelagic consciousness among the Filipino people, especially in the academe and government agencies. Its policy recommendations on the management and development of the country’s coastal and marine environment were then adopted by government agencies, such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The end of the CIDS project led to the realization that such initiatives must be pursued. As the Philippines boasts the fifth longest coastline in the world, research on its coastal and marine environment should be continued. There is a need to institutionalize archipelagic and oceanic studies in view of the recent global manifold ocean activities and issues.

Twenty-five years later, UP now lays the groundwork for creating the UP Archipelagic and Ocean Virtual University (AOVU), as a valuable and long overdue addition to UP’s eight constituent universities and one autonomous college.

Developing the Blue Economy

For decades, the focus of the Philippine government has been on the utilization of the country’s land and land-based resources. Government agencies—including the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)—were created for this purpose. However, no specific department-level agency has been established to lead the development and management of the country’s coastal and marine resources.

These concerns are divided into the two departments – DENR and DA-Burea of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – which have to manage them harmoniously as closely integrated and interacting ecosystems, explained UP Professor Emeritus Rhodora Azanza of the Marine Science Institute (MSI), who co-chairs the AOVU technical working group.

“This gap often results in blindness to the role of [the] marine environment and the ocean,” said Atty. Jay Batongbacal, chairperson of the AOVU technical working group. He notes that the lack of directed management of the country’s natural marine resources is something that the creation of AOVU intends to help address.

“Magkano ang potential ng ating marine territory?” said Dr. Rhodora Azanza, co-chair of the AOVU technical working group. “Trillions of dollars per year ang value ng [resources] na hindi pa natin nagagamit. For goods and services, [we have around] 6 billion per year.”

Dr. Azanza added that the amount of untapped marine goods and services is enough to sustain the next generation.

A fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa), locally known as “taklobo.” In the 1980s, the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) introduced giant clam cultures to prevent extinction. Photo courtesy of the UP MSI.

“Kung gagamitin natin ‘yong rights natin sa Blue Economy, mas magiging profitable tayo,” said Dr. Azanza. “Maa-achieve natin ang prosperity and sustainability if we achieve the Blue Economy.”

The “Blue Economy” refers to the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources to boost the country’s economy, as well as utilizing the natural resources for the common good while preserving the environment. UP, in its role as the national university, can provide the manpower, support, and knowledge for all activities aimed at advancing the Blue Economy, strengthening maritime law, and enhancing the security and sustainability of the country’s marine territories.

Aside from working with the Senate for the passage of the Philippine Blue Economy Act, UP—through the UP Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) and the UP College of Law’s Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (IMLOS)—has also been actively deploying experts to give lectures and seminars to the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and other related government agencies.

Institutionalizing archipelagic and oceanic studies

What is needed the most, according to Dr. Azanza, is a unified and systematized front for archipelagic and marine research and studies. UP’s AOVU initiative will contribute to such institutionalization, through the training of experts, the formulation of policy, and the provision of support to the government and the public on relevant concerns.

“Maraming dapat gawin ang UP to help organize and lead this archipelagic and oceanic program. We can have a meta-network of networks to involve other Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and relevant organizations for a comprehensive and harmonized archipelagic and oceanic knowledge generation and training under this university,” said Dr. Azanza.

AOVU, as currently envisioned, will institutionally provide continuing and postgraduate education not only to government agencies focused on the country’s marine environment and national security but also to other constituents and stakeholders.

“If we want to have [a] direct, immediate impact [on] the Blue Economy, then the university should have direct contact over the government officials and personnel who are implementing the flagship program,” added Atty. Batongbacal. Thus, the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coastguard, the national government officials, regional offices, and the local government units are the initial target clientele of the AOVU. The AOVU will provide continuing professional education in National Security, Environmental Management, and Maritime Diplomacy.

The AOVU will also serve as a centralized hub for graduate degree programs and research initiatives for other interested students, so that existing programs and initiatives can be available even outside of their CU’s usual reach. New programs and initiatives can also be introduced through the AOVU.

*Marine scientists conduct research on the coral reefs. Photo courtesy of UP MSI.*

Creating a collaborative constituent university

“Bakit kailangan pa ng new [constituent university], [gayong] may archipelagic studies na?” recalled Dr. Azanza on the common reaction to the AOVU. Such is the recurring feedback on the proposed university, as UP Visayas and UP Diliman have been offering degree programs in marine sciences and laws on maritime affairs.

Dr. Azanza clarified that the AOVU “will [harmonize] the UP System’s efforts in [advancing] archipelagic and marine studies and research.” One way of doing so is creating a centralized database featuring all existing research on archipelagic studies produced by UP constituent universities and the UP CIDS. The database will be hosted at the UP Data Commons.

In addition to the database, the AOVU itself, according to Atty. Batongbacal, “will be a collection of potentially different courses from different campuses.” Affiliate professors across the UP System will facilitate these courses. Initially, the proposed degree programs are as follows: Blue Economy Studies, which focuses on maritime industries and the environment; Archipelagic Integrity Studies, maritime security and governance; Archipelagic Environment Studies, marine environment research; and Maritime Culture Studies.

“We’re not here to compete,” emphasized Atty. Batongbacal. “What we want to do is to fill in existing gaps, to create an innovative approach of problem-solving with [an] archipelagic perspective.

“Hopefully, we can create a collaborative and synergistic type of constituent university,” he added.