DENR intensifies mangrove rehab efforts in Calabarzon

CITY, Laguna — The regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is encouraging local government units (LGUs) along the Calabarzon Region’s coastlines to help sustain the mangrove rehabilitation program.

In an interview on Tuesday, Ann Hazel Javier of the DENR Calabarzon Regional Strategic Communication and Initiatives Section (RSCIS), underscored the need for collaborative undertakings on mangrove forest rehabilitation with the DENR and stakeholders in the area.

Javier cited assessment by Senior Science Research Specialist Violy Gulapo of the DENR Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), who disclosed that since 1918, the country’s mangrove forest has been largely reduced.

Gulapo said their studies showed that “from a total number of 500,000 hectares of mangrove forest in 1918, this has drastically gone down to only 117,000 hectares in 1995” but these have gradually increased to 257,362 hectares in 2011.

She said that mangrove restoration may be attributed to coastal rehabilitation programs implemented by the government, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the local communities.

Javier said that part of the activities on the mangrove rehabilitation program was the DENR Calabarzon Conservation and Development Division’s massive mangrove tree planting at Barangay Talisay in Calatagan, Batangas.

She added the DENR regional office enjoined more than 60 volunteers from its Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Calaca, Batangas, DENR-ERDB, village officials and villagers from Barangay Talisay, and the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mangingisda sa Barangay Talisay (SNMBT) to sustain the mangrove rehabilitation program.

SNMBT is the fisherfolk’s and people’s organization in Calatagan which joined the mangrove propagule planting in observance of World Mangrove Day on July 26 this year at the town’s coastal village.

SNMBT president Rodrigo de Jesus has expressed their full support to the rehabilitation program, as the group does regular mangrove planting activities since 2007.

The DENR said some 1,200 mangrove propagules of the “Bakawang Lalaki” and “Bakawang Bato” species were planted during the event.

“But celebrating World Mangrove Day is not only for observance, but rather a cause to restore the mangrove forests in our midst for their ecological benefits and a sustainable program to also help mitigate the effects of climate change,” Javier added.

Gulapo has commended the DENR regional office for spearheading the mangrove rehabilitation programs, while reminding local stakeholders to have adequate knowledge on mangrove proper zoning.

“Likewise, we have to monitor the success rate of every planting activity,” she said.