Enhancing coral restoration in the Philippines through governance and policy integration

Abstract Objective Coral restoration is an increasingly used tool to support marine conservation and management, yet its effectiveness is influenced by its integration with coastal policy and governance landscapes. In the Philippines, the rapid expansion of coral restoration projects in recent decades highlighted significant governance challenges, from regulatory gaps, poor cross‐sectoral coordination, and sustainability problems. This paper presents a governance framework tailored to coral restoration in the Philippines, drawing on the country's extensive experience with effective marine protected area (MPA) management to provide recommendations for national and local stakeholders. Method Based on experiences from a research project on the institutional effectiveness of coral restoration, we identified five critical pathways for addressing key coral restoration challenges in the country, including strategic site selection; inclusive stakeholder engagement; long‐term monitoring; and multi‐scale and cross‐sectoral collaboration and policy integration; and embedding ecosystem‐based climate adaptation within restoration initiatives to bolster coral reef resilience. Results While multiple governance reforms are needed, we highlight integration of coral restoration into existing MPA governance as a critical entry point for improving practice in the Philippine context, with relevance for other decentralised coastal systems. Discussion Our framework aims to maximise the impact of coral restoration, enhancing the recovery of damaged reef areas through strategic management to minimise the adverse effects of human activities and climate change in the Philippines.