The Verde Island Passage (VIP) — the world’s “center of center” of marine shorefish biodiversity — covers five provinces in the Philippines. Its biodiversity richness is comparable to the Amazon.

How are local industries relying on the economic and ecological resources in the area? Listen to PCIJ’s interview with Prof. Jayvee Saco, President of the Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS) and head of the VIP Center for Oceanographic Research and Aquatic Life Sciences (VIP-CORALS) research group.

Read the related story: Verde Island Passage in danger as LNG projects flock to Batangas

Reporting by Cherry Salazar. Produced and edited by Cherry Salazar. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and YouTube Audio Library. Photo by Larry Monserate Piojo.