Friday, May 16, 2008 Peña: Mangroves By Rox Peña E-ssue
I GREW up in a landlocked town, so I have very limited knowledge of mangroves. My first close encounter with the aquatic plant was in 2005, when I joined government employees led by the Regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in planting mangroves in Limay, Bataan in observance of Environment Month.
Upon seeing mangrove seedlings, which I learned are called propagules, I was amazed at how they are designed by nature to adapt in the harsh aquatic environment.
Unlike most seeds, which are left on their own after parting from their parent tree, propagules germinate while still attached to the mangrove. Its unique pointed shape helps it to survive once it drops in the water.
Lately, I started to dig up information about mangroves and came to know more about the importance of this plant. I learned interesting things too, like finding out that nipa, the coconut-like plant whose leaves are used for roof shingles and fruits for sasa vinegar, is actually a species of mangrove.
My interest in mangroves is triggered by the plan to form the Pampanga Coastal Area Mangroves Development Council.
The move is led by the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon and the local government units (LGUs) of the coastal towns. The council aims to save and rehabilitate the remaining mangroves in the coastal towns of Pampanga. This is a good project that needs full support.
Mangroves are an important part of the coastal environment. Marine species rely on them for shelter and food. A hectare of healthy mangrove ecosystem can produce about one ton of fish per year. Falling leaves and other decaying matter provide sustenance to aquatic animals. Birds use it as sanctuary.
Mangroves are the first line of defense against the forces of nature. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it has been experienced in Sri Lanka that the damage due to tidal surges and storms is much less with the presence of mangroves. This was evident during the Indian Ocean Tsunami where mangroves acted as barriers to reduce the force of the waves in some locations.
The creation of the mangrove council in Pampanga is timely because our mangrove forests in the Philippines are fast disappearing. From 450,000 hectares in 1918, mangrove areas were reduced to just 138,000 in 1993. If this trend will continue, there will be less than 100,000 hectares left in 2030 (source: ADB 1993, WB 1989, DENR 1988).
Mangroves are harvested for firewood, timber and tannin (dye). Clear cutting of large areas are done for settlement, fishponds, tourism projects and other development.
Did you know that then city of Manila derived its name from Maynilad, which means: "may," tagalog word meaning "there is," and "nilad," the mangrove Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea, that originally grew abundantly along the shores of the Pasig River and Manila Bay.
While local communities are doing their part, the National Government is also stepping up its rehabilitation efforts. The few remaining mangrove forests are declared as protected areas.
Back in July 2003, Presidential Proclamation (PP) 426 was issued placing 387 hectares of mangrove area in Bohol Province under the full administrative jurisdiction of the DENR.
The directive segregates the entire area from any form of development that would jeopardize the survivability of the mangrove forests found on the 8,740-hectare Panglao Island.
There are also private sector-led and funded projects like Community-Based Carbon Sink Initiative Project of Team Energy, formerly Mirant, in Pagbilao, Quezon.
This project was awarded by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and has also received a special environment award from the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) for outstanding environmental management.
We enjoin the support of the various sectors in making the mangrove rehabilitation project in Pampanga a success.
