The City Government of Puerto Princesa through the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources initiated another mangrove rehabilitation activity on Saturday, February 27, 2021, in Sitio Bucana, Barangay Iwahig, where some 120 participants planted 1,600 mangrove seedlings.
The activity was participated by the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, Barangay Local Government Unit of Barangay Iwahig, and Evo Riders Group Philippines- Team Palawan.
The planting site is within the 1.9-hectare damaged mangroves, which was subjected to occupation last year.
Per information obtained from the City ENRO Forestry Management Division, the 1,600 seedlings planted belonged to Ceriops tagal species locally known as tangal.
Last February 14, some 150 individuals planted mangrove seedlings led by the City ENRO Atty. Carlo B. Gomez, DENR PENR Officer Forester Eriberto Saños, CENR Officer Forester Felizardo Cayatoc, Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI) Program Director Ynah Lauron, along with other volunteers from various government agencies, offices, barangay and civic organizations.
They planted close to 3,000 mangrove seedlings of species belonging to Ceriops tagal locally known as tangal and Xylocarpus obovatus locally known as tabigi, planted by 150 individuals, and on February 19, Vice Mayor Socrates and her staff planted some 400 seedlings, bringing the total number of mangrove seedlings planted as part of the Mangrove Rehabilitation Activity to 5,000.
The mangroves are known for its ecological importance. They form dense forests in our coastal areas.
Mangrove scientists said that the mangroves protect coastal areas from erosion, storm surge during typhoons. Its unique ecosystem found in the intricate netting of mangrove roots offers home and breeding grounds for variety of marine life. In areas where roots are permanently submerged, the organisms they host include algae, barnacles, oysters, sponges, and bryozoans.
Various scientific literature about mangroves ecosystem identified and considered the Philippines’ mangrove plantations, along with that of Thailand, Vietnam and India as major sources of commercially important fish and crustaceans species found in mangroves.
The protection of mangroves is significant in the ecosystem of Palawan, being the country’s last ecological frontier. Then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos through Proclamation No. 2152 series of 1981 declared the entire Palawan as Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserves. The proclamation supposedly fortified and secured the island’s mangroves from any human activities and intrusions, considering that mangroves in all parts of Palawan are strictly “for conservation and protection purposes by reason of their ecological, scientific, educational and recreational values, including flora and fauna and marine life found therein and other values.”
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