A thick belt of mangroves spans over one kilometer of shoreline at Barangay Quilitisan in Calatagan, Batangas. Across from the mainland lies the mangrove-covered islet Ang Pulo. 

The 7.5-hectare Ang Pulo was declared a municipal conservation park in 2009, giving way for the preservation of mangroves in the area. It was also opened to ecotourism activities, providing additional income for its residents. 

According to Dr. Mary Antonette Beroya-Eitner, a geologist and project manager of the US-based nonprofit GeoHazards International (GHI), the lush stretch of mangroves in Quilitisan serves as a natural barrier against coastal hazards like tsunamis and storm surges.

“But these mangroves are rapidly deteriorating, primarily due to the burgeoning tourism industry, and are therefore in need of protection,” she said.

On Sept. 7, with the support of GHI—which helps communities vulnerable to disaster and climate change build resilience—volunteer group “Mangrove Warriors” was launched to intensify efforts to conserve Quilitisan’s mangroves. 

To raise awareness on the importance of mangroves, the group comprising mainly students, teachers and other volunteers will produce social media content such as TikTok videos, reels, and arts. It will also participate in GHI’s research and other knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Among the members is Glenn Custodio, a 52-year-old science teacher who plans to make sure that what he teaches is transformed into practice. “[Our] obligation is to share knowledge and skills in taking care of our planet Earth,” he said.

The initiative is part of GHI’s program called “Building Resilience Under a Changing Climate in Mangrove Communities,” which is aimed at equipping local governments and communities with nature-based measures against climate-amplified coastal hazards.

Nature-based solution

At the launch of Mangrove Warriors, marine ecologist Dr. Mario Cudiamat explained how mangroves protect coastal communities from hazards caused by strong typhoons and earthquakes by dissipating wave energy, trapping sediments, and controlling erosion. 

He said mangroves also mitigate the impacts of climate change because of their ability to capture and store more carbon dioxide than forests on land. Carbon dioxide sequestration helps reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

These roles make mangroves a “nature-based solution” to disasters resulting from hazards and climate change, Cudiamat said, adding that such solutions “protect, restore, and manage our ecosystems.” 

He classified nature-based solutions as green infrastructure where plants and trees are used to protect communities. 

Beroya-Eitner said the protection value of green infrastructure, unlike gray infrastructure, increases over time. “For example,“ she said, “as mangrove trees grow and expand in aerial coverage, so does their capacity to attenuate waves.” 

Green infrastructure also provides additional benefits such as “serving as a carbon sink, pollution mitigation, and providing food and livelihood, among others,” she added.

Reforestation efforts

Data from the Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) show that the Philippines had 311,400 hectares of mangrove cover as of 2020.

Mangrove forest cover in the Philippines recovered from its declining trend in the 1990s.

In 2011, the Aquino administration established the National Greening Program (NGP) as a response to the declining forest cover in the country. As stated in Executive Order No. 26, the NGP aimed to reforest the country targeting 1.5 million hectares from 2011 to 2016. 

But the 2019 Performance Audit Report of the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed that although forest cover increased, the NGP fell short of its target coverage.

The increase of 177,441 hectares from 2020 to 2015 represents only 11.82 percent of the NGP’s target area.

The COA also noted in its report that the DENR, the implementing agency, fast-tracked the NGP process, which “increased the incidences of wastage.”

The fast-tracking caused the DENR to set unrealistic targets for field officials and skip essential surveys and planning, which resulted in people’s organizations missing financial opportunities like seedling production profits, the COA reported.

Beroya-Eitner said that while the NGP’s objectives are commendable, its implementation and monitoring mechanism can be improved. “The potential for natural growth and propagation may also be explored to make the program more sustainable,” she said.

Ecological factors

According to Cudiamat, reforestation efforts should include a consideration of ecological factors such as the physical condition of the soil and the right species of trees to be planted.

“In my experience as a mangrove conservationist, there are many challenges in mangrove rehabilitation,” he said. “These include … the ecological consideration which, according to Dr. Jurgenne Primavera (a leading mangrove expert in the Philippines), needs planting by ecology and not planting by convenience.” 

Cudiamat also emphasized a community-based approach to reforestation for sustainability. “Mangrove-based livelihood can also be integrated, providing economic benefits to the community,” he said.

He suggested, apart from reforestation, crafting effective environmental legislation to serve as a legal framework for the participation of stakeholders in mangrove conservation efforts.

Isa Jane Acabel, a journalism student at the University of the Philippines’ College of Mass Communication, is an intern at CoverStory.ph.