Mangrove park leads Bauang’s climate emergency initiatives 

LA UNION, Philippines — On August 16, Bauang town in La Union became the first local government in northern Luzon to declare a state of climate emergency. While various groups welcomed this as a crucial step in combating climate change, Mayor Eulogio Clarence Martin P. De Guzman III viewed it as a formality.

“We declared a climate emergency with the first planting of bakawan (mangrove),” he said, reflecting on the town’s decade-long reforestation program.

The announcement took place at the Bauang Mangrove Ecotourism Park, a 163-hectare nature and tourism hub. The place spans the barangays of Parian Oeste and Pudoc, which features a tourist center, a boardwalk through the mangroves, a tree-lined camp site, and boat rides along the river.

The protection and development of this hub are among the ten points outlined in the executive order to address the climate crisis.

Community involvement

“At first, we didn’t know what benefits we would get from the mangroves, but since they told us to plant, we planted,” said Ernesto Miranda Jr., a resident of Parian Oeste and president of the Bauang Fishing Group and Consumers Cooperative (BFGCC).

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) boosted the LGU’s reforestation when it offered BFGCC and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries 25,000 seedlings in 2012 for the project.

At the time, Miranda said, they planted mangroves mainly for the ₱2 per seedling pay from BFAR, with an additional ₱3 if the seedling survived. Other agencies and institutions also pitched in through the years.

From an initial 5 hectares, the area has expanded to 83 hectares, hosting 12 species of mangroves, with an additional 52 hectares covered by trees such as Bani, Agoho, and Talisay.

However, this success came with challenges. The community faced issues such as garbage dumping and the cutting of mangroves for firewood and charcoal.

“This changed over time, and as the mangroves grew, we realized their potential and the benefits they bring,” Miranda said.

Ecotourism hub

Even before its official launch as an ecotourism site, the residents began benefiting from the project. As the mangroves grew, they helped reduce damage from storm surges, flooding, and strong winds during typhoons.

“Now we see the benefits. Different kinds of crabs live there, and fish lay their eggs among the roots. The ecotourism park has also made a big impact, with many visitors now coming to see it,” Miranda shared.

The dense mangrove roots have become home to fish and other marine life, increasing the local catch. Twelve species of birds have also made the thick foliage their permanent home, attracting tourists and bird enthusiasts.

Ferrying tourists has provided additional income for the community. Visitors can rent a boat for a 2-hour tour for ₱450, but the boatmen are currently asking for a raise to cover the increase in fuel prices. The tourist center also sells locally-made products like bagoong (fish paste).

Miranda noted that their monthly net earnings used to be around ₱3,000. Since offering boat tours, their income has increased to ₱5,000 during the regular season and up to ₱7,000 during peak tourism periods.

Residents also sell mangrove seedlings for ₱3 each. Miranda said that when the Department of Environment Natural Resources ordered 50,000 seedlings, they distributed the work among various groups to share the benefits. Their contract with the agency ended last year.

Meanwhile, the LGU has started collecting ₱30/person for Filipino tourists and ₱50/head for foreign visitors on August 10. The proceeds are for park maintenance, with 40% going to the barangay. Buang residents are free to enter.

Earth’s safeguard

In a 2022 report, the Global Mangrove Alliance highlighted that mangroves are the most efficient carbon capture system, currently storing carbon equivalent to over 21 billion tons of carbon dioxide.

The report noted that 4.1 million small-scale fishers and communities would benefit if half of the 8,183-square-kilometer restorable area, particularly in Southeast Asia, is restored by 2030. They also reduce storm damage by $65 billion annually and lower flooding risk for 15 million people.

In a 2017 policy brief, the World Bank-led Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services noted that a hectare of mangroves provides over US $3,200 per year in direct flood reduction benefits in the country.

Mangroves also offer effective storm protection, preventing more than US $1.6 billion in damage across the country. “Based on the Philippines’ current population, the mangroves lost between 1950 and 2010 have resulted in increased flooding for over 267,000 people each year. Restoring these mangroves would bring over US $450 million per year in flood protection benefits,” the document stated.

The paper also emphasized that when combined with built infrastructure, mangroves provide an effective defense against storms and coastal flooding.

As of 2020, the country’s mangrove habitat spans 2,848 square kilometers. This translates to a linear coverage of 33.34 percent of our coastline according to Global Mangrove Watch.

In April, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources called on the public to assist in the ground validation of a 2023 mangrove map created from satellite data through a mobile app. – Rappler.com