This article provides a review of PHE efforts in the Philippines and explains how addressing gender issues has been an important factor in attaining project results. Sixty percent of Philippine’s population resides in the coastal zone. Women and men in coastal communities depend chiefly on the sea for subsistence. Coastal populations are young and expanding at rates that exceed regional and national averages. Conflicts among users of coastal resources are escalating. Access constraints, gender inequities and cultural barriers stymie options for women and men to plan their families and create alternative livelihoods. Trends observed as a result of the program's monitoring and evaluation efforts during 2001-2004, which suggest better impact on reproductive health (RH), Coastal resources management (CRM) and gender indicators in the sites where the synergistic approach is being applied. Specifically, the reproductive health project component allows the project to attract women to coastal management activities, increasing their participation in community management boards and governance structures. Such gender sensitive programming allows women to participate fully in the management of the resources they depend on for livelihood and food. An added benefit is the project’s focus on involving men in their family’s family planning decisions, empowering them to take responsibility for traditionally female issues such as family size, birth spacing, and reproductive health.