Volunteer groups vow to sustain mangrove planting in NegOr

 

DUMAGUETE CITY – A coalition of Negros Oriental volunteer groups has pledged to plant thousands of mangrove trees every year in order to protect the province's shorelines and support global efforts to combat climate change.

In an interview on Tuesday, Sidney Lee, the planting coordinator of the Allied Mangrove Planting Organizations (AMPO), stated that they hope to plant 600,000 mangrove trees by October.

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"We have already planted 520,000 mangrove trees since October 2015, and on July 23, we were able to plant an additional 20,000 mangrove seedlings at Tanjay City's boardwalk area," Lee said.

"The remaining 60,000 mangrove trees for our target this year can be easily accomplished by then, as there are plenty of volunteers willing to undertake the activity each month," says the coordinator.

He explained the importance of raising awareness about mangroves, saying that not everyone understands the role of these coastal trees or shrubs that provide not only shoreline protection but also food and shelter to animals.

"Mangroves are also a natural habitat for certain marine creatures and aid in carbon sequestration, which can result in a smaller carbon footprint," Lee explained. "They play a critical role in carbon sequestration, which they do twice as well as terrestrial trees."

While mangroves are common in the Philippines, with 33 species found across the archipelago, he claims they are under threat because humans use these coastal trees for firewood.

The Negros Oriental ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Association of Corps Commanders (NORACC), of which Lee is a member, took the lead in the province's sea forest restoration effort in 2015, planting one million mangrove trees in ten years.

Tanjay City in Negros Oriental at the time agreed to allow the NORACC to rehabilitate and restore 52 hectares of mudflats around its boardwalk, which would be planted with mangrove trees.

"With 540,000 trees and seedlings already planted, this is our primary site for the massive mangrove forest restoration," Lee explained.

The NORACC later spearheaded the AMPO informal coalition, which includes 12 non-government organizations that have volunteered to join the advocacy to revitalize the Tanjay boardwalk, which is now a popular tourist destination.

He stated that in the beginning, they planted 100,000 mangrove trees per year, but the pandemic slowed their efforts for about two years.

The boardwalk was closed, so the group had to find another location in this capital city's Banilad, where they planted mangroves after quarantine restrictions were lifted, according to Lee.

"However, our goal is to be able to plant one million mangrove trees at the boardwalk in ten years, and we are optimistic that we will be able to do so with the help of volunteers from the government and non-government sectors, including the youth," he added.

In the coming years, the alliance will expand its efforts beyond the boardwalk mudflats to advocate for the rejuvenation and planting of more mangroves throughout the province.

Lee expressed hope that as the world celebrates International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on July 26, more organizations and individual volunteers will be educated on the importance of the mangrove ecosystem and become actively involved in its protection and conservation. (PNA)

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