Are Municipalities Ready for Integrating Blue Carbon Concepts?: Content Analysis of Coastal Management Plans in the Philippines

The primary goal of this study is to investigate the present coastal management plans for blue carbon ecosystem management strategies using content analysis of the local plans of select municipalities in the Philippines. The analysis generated eight (8) clusters based on keywords focusing on mangrove and seagrass ecosystems, namely: ecological profile, ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, tourism, natural threats, anthropogenic threats, laws, policies, & ordinances, and management activities. The results of this study can serve as a benchmark for local policy-makers in updating their present management plans particularly in branching their focus on integrated management of seagrass ecosystems and advancing technical capacity and knowledge on blue carbon ecosystems.