Enviro News Asia, Bataan — Local governments, private companies, and communities in Bataan Province are working together to restore mangrove forests along the province’s 177-kilometer coastline.
This initiative, named “Baka1Bataan,” is a key part of the national Project TRANSFORM (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multistakeholder Engagement), a flagship program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The project aims to build coastal resilience, protect communities from storm surges, and provide sustainable livelihoods.
The Baka1Bataan project, which combines the local term for mangroves, “bakauan,” with the provincial slogan “1Bataan,” takes a comprehensive approach. It brings together various partners to replant and restore mangrove zones, which decades of land conversion, neglect, and climate change have adversely affected.
This year, the Provincial Government of Bataan issued Provincial Ordinance No. 2025-03, which establishes a Coastal Greenbelt Network of mangroves spanning the coastal towns of Orani, Abucay, Balanga City, Samal, and Mariveles.
According to Jose Sally Raymundo, Vice-Chairman of the Tubo-Tubo Fisherfolks Association (TFA) in Orani, the community has recognized the vital role of mangroves since Typhoon Saling hit Bataan in 1987.
The mangroves acted as a natural barrier, saving 14 houses in a mangrove area while the storm destroyed around 200 others along the coast.
Beyond providing storm protection, the project has enhanced community self-sufficiency. The community now generates additional income from a mangrove nursery and aquaponics. Approximately 30 households cultivate various vegetables through aquaponics on 80-square-meter plots, earning up to ₱10,000 per month from their harvest.
Mangrove forests also support the local ecosystem by creating habitats for crabs, fish, shrimp, and migratory birds. They also play a critical role in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing carbon at a rate four times greater than other tropical forests.
Under the leadership of Governor Jose Enriquez Garcia III, the provincial government has partnered with corporations like San Miguel Global Power, SM, Aboitiz, and Orica Philippines. These companies have adopted 34 hectares of mangroves as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The Baka1Bataan project also integrates environmental education, sustainable livelihood training, and collaboration with climate change experts. It is also a key component of the province’s disaster risk reduction programs, ensuring the long-term protection and implementation of the project. (*)
