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The document examines the implementation of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the Babuyan Islands, Philippines, arguing that the paradigm's assumption of a definable 'equilibrium' ecosystem state is undermined by diverging local agendas. It finds that the resulting collapse of the ICM framework allows local elites and 'strongmen' to co-opt resource access through unethical influence and patronage networks. This process marginalizes poor fisherfolk and leads to continued environmental degradation, including illegal fishing and metal salvaging from shipwrecks, while disempowering national line agencies like BFAR and DENR.