RARE Director for Innovative Finance Christopher Lomboy led the simple ceremony and the signing of Local Leadership Pledge in support to healthy and sustainable fishing communities.

The pledge signed by Mayor Gustilo stated that he pledged and joined by other leaders around the world to seek and build healthy, prosperous and sustainable communities and empowering the constituents to have clearer access rights to their fisheries, good governance, local leadership, and participatory management to recover and sustain the coastal resources.
According to its official website, the Coastal 500 is the largest global network of Mayors and local government leaders committed to work towards thriving and prosperous coastal communities. It is composed of mayors and other local government leaders across the developing tropics.

Coastal 500 members hail from Brazil, the Federated State of Micronesia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mozambique, Palau and the Philippines.