This country profile presents a comprehensive assessment of the legal, political, and institutional frameworks essential for enabling blue carbon projects. It evaluates core legal requirements—such as project precedents, national regulations, land tenure, and carbon rights—using a standardized scoring index designed to clarify the complex legal and policy landscape surrounding blue carbon development.

The analysis is intended to support stakeholders in navigating these frameworks and accelerating the design and implementation of high-integrity blue carbon projects in the country.

The main policy recommendations focus on:

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Establishing a clear timeline for making the online forest carbon project registry publicly accessible.

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Creating a unified framework for resolving land disputes, integrating the Agrarian Court, the Philippine court system, and customary dispute mechanisms.

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Harmonizing land title governance to prevent overlaps: A central coordinating body should streamline land titling processes across agencies to resolve conflicts and prevent overlapping land claims and permit granting processes.

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Aligning community-based forest management agreement (CBFMA) and forest lease terms with carbon credit standards: consider extending forest land leases beyond the current 50-year limit to align with Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) permanence requirements.

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Defining Carbon Rights and Standardize Transfer Processes: Establish a legal framework that defines carbon rights and outlines standardized procedures for transfer, recognition, and revocation.

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‍Download the full report to explore all findings and recommendations in detail.