Our History

Marine Conservation Philippines (MCP) was founded in 2015 with a simple belief: that long-term marine conservation only succeeds when local communities, government agencies, scientists and volunteers work together.

The idea for the organisation began several years earlier.  After many years working within the dive industry in Asia, the founders recognised that although many organisations were bringing volunteers to coral reefs, relatively few were generating the long-term scientific data, local capacity and government partnerships needed to create lasting conservation outcomes, extending past the most local outcomes.

Rather than establishing another short-term volunteer project, the ambition was to build a permanent Filipino conservation organisation capable of operating for decades.

From the beginning, the organisation chose to establish itself in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, on the southern coast of Negros Island. The region contains coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and productive fisheries, while also facing many of the same environmental pressures affecting coastal communities throughout the Philippines.

Marine Habitat Preservation of the Philippines Inc. was formally registered as a non-stock, non-profit organisation, becoming publicly known as Marine Conservation Philippines (MCP).

Building from the Ground Up

The early years were modest. Operations began with a handful of staff, volunteer divers and local supporters carrying out reef monitoring, beach clean-ups and environmental education. Much of the scientific equipment had to be acquired gradually, partnerships had to be earned, and trust had to be built within surrounding communities.

Rather than focusing solely on conservation activities, MCP invested significant effort into building relationships with barangays, municipalities, national government agencies and local fisher organisations. This collaborative approach would later become one of the organisation’s defining characteristics.

As programmes expanded, MCP developed its own campus in Lutoban, providing accommodation, classrooms, meeting rooms, equipment storage and training facilities capable of supporting both conservation work and a rigorous scientific diving programme.

From Local Projects to Regional Impact

Over time, the organisation’s work broadened considerably. Scientific reef monitoring evolved into comprehensive marine ecosystem monitoring that now includes coral reefs, seagrass habitats, mangroves, fisheries and associated marine biodiversity.

Training programmes were established to teach scientific diving techniques to volunteers, university students, local government personnel and scholars and national agencies. Mobile training teams were later introduced to bring this expertise to remote municipalities across the Visayas.

Partnerships with universities enabled research projects that contribute not only to local management decisions but also to wider scientific understanding of Philippine marine ecosystems.

Environmental education likewise expanded from occasional community presentations into structured programmes reaching thousands of school children throughout South Negros Oriental.

Strengthening Marine Protected Areas

One of MCP’s core objectives has been supporting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Rather than managing protected areas directly, the organisation works alongside Local Government Units, People’s Organisations and national agencies to strengthen existing MPAs through scientific monitoring, technical advice, ranger support, training and conservation planning.

This collaborative model recognises that lasting conservation depends upon empowering local stakeholders rather than replacing them.

Today, MCP also assists government agencies including BFAR, DENR and ENRD with scientific survey techniques, marine conservation training and management best practices.

Diversifying Conservation

As experience grew, MCP increasingly recognised that healthy coral reefs cannot be protected in isolation.

The organisation expanded into mangrove restoration, seagrass research, fisheries management, plastic pollution reduction, ghost net removal and Crown-of-Thorns starfish intervention programmes.

Community livelihood initiatives were also introduced where appropriate, recognising that conservation and sustainable economic opportunities are often closely connected.

Growing into a National NGO

What began as a small local initiative has gradually developed into one of the Philippines’ larger independent marine conservation NGOs.

Today, MCP operates multiple long-term scientific monitoring programmes through an ethically sound volunteering program,  collaborates with numerous universities and government agencies, and supports conservation initiatives across several municipalities in the Visayas.

The organisation has trained hundreds of scientific divers and conservation practitioners, restored and protected extensive coastal habitats, published scientific research, and reached thousands of students through environmental education programmes.

According to the organisation’s current impact figures, MCP has:

• Helped strengthen protection for more than 300 hectares of marine habitat.
• Planted more than 30,000 mangrove trees.
• Reached over 10,000 schoolchildren.
• Trained more than 1000 people in scientific diving and marine management.
• Removed more than 1,000 metres of ghost nets.
• Collected and recycled more than 300 tonnes of plastic waste.
• Established partnerships with more than eight Local Government Units.

Looking Forward

Marine conservation continues to evolve, and so does MCP.

While coral reef monitoring remains an important part of the organisation’s work, increasing emphasis is now being placed on whole-ecosystem conservation, recognising the importance of seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and the ecological connections between coastal habitats.

The organisation also continues to strengthen its scientific capacity, develop Filipino conservation professionals, expand government partnerships, and improve transparency through open reporting and published research.

More than a decade after the original idea was conceived, the mission remains fundamentally unchanged: to protect and restore marine ecosystems through research, education, community engagement, and long-term collaboration with the people who depend upon healthy oceans every day.