PhilSA taps space data to protect Palawan, Tubbataha Reefs natural park

• During PINAS Symposium in Western Philippines University (WPU) on 12 February 2026 where applications of satellite data to environmental management, agriculture, disaster resilience, and evidence-based policymaking were discussed.

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has formalized new five-year agreements aimed at strengthening environmental monitoring and science-based policymaking in Palawan and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

Separate Memoranda of Agreement were signed on Feb. 13 in Puerto Princesa City with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO).

The signing was attended by PCSD Executive Director Atty. Teodoro Matta, TMO Protected Area Superintendent Angelique Songco, and PhilSA Director General Gay Jane P. Perez, represented by Space Information Infrastructure Bureau Director Ariel C. Blanco.

Under its agreement with PCSD, PhilSA will generate land use and land cover maps, as well as benthic or marine habitat maps, free of charge. These outputs are expected to support environmental health monitoring and damage assessment when needed. PCSD, in turn, will validate the maps using ground-based data to ensure accuracy.

In a separate arrangement with the TMO, PhilSA will conduct benthic and bathymetry mapping to support science-based management of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its rich marine biodiversity.

The partnerships also include capacity-building initiatives to help personnel from PCSD and TMO maximize the use of space-borne data for long-term habitat monitoring and resource management.

The agreements build on earlier cooperation through the PhilSA Integrated Network for Space-Enabled Actions (PINAS), launched in 2022 to connect local government units, institutions, and stakeholders working toward sustainability using satellite data. PINAS workshops have been conducted in Iloilo City, Palawan, Ilocos Region, Aklan, Mindoro, Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu, Bataan, Bulacan, and Bukidnon.

Alongside the MOA signing, PhilSA held PINAS symposiums at Western Philippines University and Palawan State University, and carried out field surveys in Balabac, Palawan. Activities included drone-based image acquisition for high-resolution mapping of benthic zones, crops, and land cover, as well as underwater video and echosounder tows.

Data gathered from these efforts will be used to produce more accurate maps of seagrass beds, coral reefs, forests, and agricultural areas, supporting both conservation and development planning.

Through these agreements, PhilSA continues to expand the use of space science and satellite data in environmental protection, reinforcing its push for sustainable development and evidence-based governance across the country.