Biological invasions in the Philippines: Challenges and priorities in a megadiverse country

Non-native species threaten the Philippines' biodiversity, economy, and human well-being. Evidence, however, suggests that management efforts in the country to control non-native species are largely unsuccessful due to substantial knowledge gaps, which include scarce data on ecological impacts, economic costs, pathways of introduction, and a lack of coordinated efforts to address non-native species. To fill these gaps, we identify key research challenges and opportunities in addressing non-native species introductions and risks in the Philippines. To tackle these challenges linked to biological invasions in the Philippines, we highlight key areas that include: (1) the prevention of future introductions, where possible; (2) objective assessments of ecological and economic impacts; (3) a central coordination for any aspect associated with biological invasions; (4) the establishment of long-term monitoring and comprehensive data collection, (5) raising public awareness and education and (6) reframing biological invasions. We discuss how these gaps affect management efforts in the Philippines and how they can be addressed to promote effective management strategies for non-native species, providing insights for other countries or territories facing similar threats under similar circumstances.