THE Coastline Management Board (CMB) has asked the Cebu City Council to craft an ordinance protecting mangroves in Barangays Cogon Pardo and Inayawan.
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The CMB noted the need to legislate programs and protection measures for the growth and development of mangroves in the two urban barangays.
The request comes after the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office found two flood mitigation projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways 7 that damaged several mangrove trees in the area.
In a formal request submitted to the City Council during its regular session on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the CMB said at least 39 mangrove species recorded in Cebu City are found along the stretch of Barangays Cogon Pardo and Inayawan.
The CMB reminded the council that mangrove forests are under threat worldwide due to human activities and climate change, making this conversation “essential.”
In an interview on Monday, June 23, CMB chairman Ed Karlon Rama said with an ordinance protecting mangroves, sustainable development and protection will be initiated along with the local government’s commitment for local resources.
Rama said that through legislation, a sustainability project can be conceived, key result areas (KRA) can be identified and a work plan can be developed around the KRAs.
With a work plan around KRAs, he said job specifications can be formulated and workers with the needed qualifications to perform the specified tasks or functions can be hired.
“Work can commence, monitored and, in case the KRAs aren’t met, reevaluated and adjusted,” he explained.
Rama said local laws allow for these specifications in a way that no national law can.
“Unless your national law specifically targets this mangrove area in Inayawan and Cogon, nothing happens,” said Rama.
“At CMB, what we want to do is make sure the mangroves in the area are not only protected but actually thrive,” he added. (JPS)