Sustainable Finance Specialist

LOCATION: Based in Metro Manila
DURATION: April 2023 until January 2025
SUPERVISION: Project Manager
ACCOUNTABLE TO: WWF-Philippines

WORKS WITH:

• Internal: Advisory Board composed of all implementing partners, including WWF-Austria and Blue Bond and Bankable Nature Solutions Adviser and Fisheries and Finance Adviser; WWF-Philippines Sustainable Finance Team
• External: National government agencies (DTI, DOF, DA-BFAR, DOLE, NFARMC, etc.); private partners and financial institutions (e.g., ADB); international or local consultants and other civil society and research partners

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Since 2011, WWF-Philippines has been active in advancing and implementing Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPS) in the tuna fisheries in Lagonoy and Mindoro Strait, Philippines to ensure sustainable fisheries production while improving the welfare of small-scale handline fisherfolk. The Fishery Improvement Projects WWF-Philippines supported in Lagonoy Gulf and Mindoro have been awarded the Marine Stewardship Council Certification (MSCC), the first in the country to achieve such distinction. The MSCC is a highly-coveted global ecolabel and fishery certification program that awards sustainable fishing practices. The MSCC influences consumers in buying sustainable seafood, as well as providing the small-scale tuna fishers of Occidental Mindoro an opportunity to further expand its EU consumer market base.

However, the MSC Certification requires its awardees to continuously uphold sustainable fisheries principles; failure to do so would risk the communities’ certification to be revoked. To ensure sustainable fishery practices, the communities need to improve its post-harvest facilities and services, and sanitary procedures to reduce wasted tuna through post-harvest losses, and prolong and increase the quality of the fish for export. Through extensive consultations with the communities, WWF-Philippines identified the lack of such facilities and services as the primary barrier in sustaining the communities’ export market. Lack of diverse alternative livelihood sources, including sustainable aquaculture products, not only limits the competitiveness of Occidental Mindoro but also risks food and economic insecurity.

Mindoro Strait, a major tuna fishery area in the Philippines, also forms part of the wider Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape, a mega-diverse marine ecoregion that stretches towards Palawan. Strengthening the fishery operations in this area to economies of scale increases the potential for sound investment and returns in a bankable project. For instance, processing may generate better returns if the communities offer high-quality tuna and diversified sustainably sourced seafood and other livelihood products.

Funded by the European Union (EU) Switch Asia Program, the Mindoro Strait Sustainable and Equitable Tuna for Bankability (MS-SETB) Project aims to strengthen the capacities of fishing households in Occidental Mindoro to develop sustainable performance-based bankable projects that reduce post-harvest losses of seafood and to build the resilience of coastal communities through the diversification of new or improved existing livelihoods.

BENEFICIARIES OF THE ACTION:

The direct target groups and beneficiaries are the following: 38 MSME trade and exporting companies in three (3) industry associations (Philippine Association for Tuna Processors, Inc., Fresh Frozen Seafood Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Cephalopod Association of Producers and Exporters, Inc.); 1,238 tuna fishing households (as members of the Tuna Fishers’ Associations in Mindoro Strait); Occidental Mindoro Women’s Committees to expand to at least 300 women community members.

THE ROLE:

The primary role of the Sustainable Finance Specialist is to design and implement the WWF-Philippines sustainable financing strategy for the fisheries sector, share knowledge with the implementation unit and team including other relevant key staff, and work with WWF-Philippines’ sustainable finance team in the development of the organization’s overall sustainable financing strategy for its program portfolio from a fisheries/blue economy perspective.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

The primary responsibilities of the Sustainable Finance Specialist are to:

• Develop a framework for WWF-Philippines’ sustainable finance strategy in the fisheries sector and conduct a key stakeholder analysis to determine priority activities for sustainable financing in the Philippines
• Review and analyze legal and regulatory matters related to sustainable finance and relevant international practices; works with the WWF-Philippines Sustainable Tuna Partnerships 2 Project Policy, Governance, and Partnerships Specialist in facilitating discussions with national government agencies and financing institutions, in areas such as support on compensatory measures and incentives for fishers on sustainable practices
• Undertake sector mapping to inform financing opportunities and strategies for sustainable finance project within the fisheries sector
• Assist WWF-Philippines in the design, structuring, and implementation of sustainable financing instruments (e.g., risk sharing, green and sustainability-linked bonds with accompanying framework document) and green investment funds in collaboration with the project team and roster of consultants
• Assist in the development of bankable portfolio generation in close collaboration with the project team
• Evaluate and recommend scaling and replication of the bankable project portfolio in alignment with the Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan and National Management Plans for tuna and octopus

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Holds a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in finance, business, economics, law, or a field related to the theme of work
• At least three to five years of relevant professional experience in the relevant field
• Experience in sustainable finance space; specialised knowledge in green, social, and sustainability bonds, e.g. structuring of assets, designing green products or green financial instruments and investment funds and their implementation is an advantage
• Proven experience working in the Philippines on the sustainable finance space with governments, and private and public financing, including multilateral institutions
• Strong project management skills, and English writing and speaking skills