The Philippines is one of the most storm-prone countries in the world, with the archipelago facing the brunt of tropical typhoons from the Pacific Ocean. Standing strong to protect against these natural hazards are mangrove areas which have been slowly depleting.

Fortunately, stewards of the mangroves or known locally as bakhawan are at the helm of nature's undervalued yet great green defenders. The bakhawan stewards are committed to their mission to guard and expand the wetland forests at all costs.

Delailah Lacadue of Aringay, La Union; Retchie Sacapaño of Ibajay, Aklan; and Gina Barquilla of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte showed determination in involving their communities to plant, nurture, and watch over the mangroves which, in turn, also protect and provide for communities’ daily needs.

These community-driven initiatives are supported by Meralco’s corporate social responsibility arm, One Meralco Foundation (OMF), which helps local governments and people's organizations regrow their forests as part of its environmental sustainability program, One For Trees (OFT).

As the world celebrates World Environment Day on 5 June , OMF recognizes the efforts of these exceptional women who employ nature-based solutions to restore the bounty of the land and protect the planet for a sustainable future. Through their commitment, they live up to the theme of the worldwide celebration, “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”

LUZON: La Union's legacy bakhawan leader

Delailah Lacadue first understood the importance of mangroves from her mother, who, in 1986, was among those who planted the first mangrove trees in Barangay Dulao in Aringay, La Union. Realizing that it is a major source of food and livelihood in their community, she learned how to collect propagules, and plant and grow bakhawan on her own.

In 2021, she left her job as a barangay nutritionist of 18 years to become a full-time mangrove farmer and fisherfolk and lead the Dulao Fishpond/Fishpen Producers Cooperative, becoming the first president of the people's organization. Part of her job is to ensure the community understands their role in taking care of the bakhawan and how they can benefit from it.

"The mangrove forests provide for us. Its healthy roots become the home of many species of fish and crustacean and has become a source of food and livelihood for us,” she shared.

Supporting the cooperative is non-government organization Fostering Education & Environment for Development (FEED), one of OMF’s partners in environmental sustainability. With FEED’s help, OMF extended its reforestation efforts to Barangay Dulao under the care of the Dulao Fishpond/Fishpen Producers Cooperative wherein 25,000 mangrove propagules were planted and nurtured. Doing so provides community members a new income stream. Children who volunteered to help are also given a small token as incentive.

With the group’s efforts, they expanded the mangrove site under their care to two hectares. Growing the mangrove cover provided them an effective barrier during strong storms like super typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) in 2023, buffering the effects of tidal waves and lessening the damage to their homes. Their initiatives of backyard nurseries also became the source of propagules of other barangays in Aringay which also extended the group’s environmental influence beyond their immediate community. By taking care of their natural resources, the community also takes care of their neighbors and the next generation.

VISAYAS: Aklan's mangrove eco-tourism advocate

Retchie Sacapaño lived along mangrove forests in Ibajay, Aklan since she was a child, catching crabs along the coast when it’s low tide so her family can have something to eat for dinner. But it was only in 2010 when she joined the Bugtongbato Fisherfolk Association (BFA) that she discovered how important these mangrove forests are, especially the Ibajay Mangrove Forest, or what locals call Katunggan It Ibajay (KII).

KII, located less than an hour away from Boracay, is a beach forest that provides livelihood to two barangays: Bugtongbato and Naisud. It has evolved into a mangrove ecotourism park managed by people's organizations like BFA as part of their community involvement initiatives towards sustainable ecotourism. Even at the barangay level, residents are educated on how the mangrove forests give life to their community. Retchie is among the many residents who underwent seminars so they can appreciate the bakhawan better, and to learn how it can provide for them not just food, but also a stable livelihood.

"I was offered to attend seminars on tour guiding in KII, and that's when I found out how essential the mangrove forests are to us in Barangay Bugtongbato. We don't just earn money from being tour guides; we also educate our visitors on why we must plant more and preserve our forests," said Retchie, who is one of the first members and the current treasurer of the BFA.

These initiatives gave mothers like her an opportunity to explore other sources of living — including the capacity to earn while planting mangroves while their husbands are out fishing. The BFA has over 70 members now, all earning from sustainable fishing, mangrove planting and nurturing, and ecotourism.

To further develop and rehabilitate KII, it needs the help of many stakeholders. OMF, through the local government of Ibajay, extended assistance to BFA and funded the planting of 50,000 mangroves, equipping tree farmers who are at the forefront of KII’s mangrove rehabilitation. By planting these mangroves, tree farmers can have another source of income.

"By extending help to us, you enable us to be effective stewards of the forests. We feel the need to protect these forests because they shield us from hunger and storms. By taking care of these mangroves, we invest in our future and that of our children who will inherit a better community. My kids can proudly say, 'my mother planted that mangrove,” Retchie concluded.

MINDANAO: Siargao Island's fierce wetlands protector

The small teardrop island of Siargao is more than just a surfing paradise. It is also home to one of the Philippines’ largest contiguous mangrove forests that sprawl over 4,800 hectares in the municipality of Del Carmen. But before commencing wetland conservation efforts, rampant illegal cutting of mangroves was recorded in the area, explained Gina Barquilla, the Del Carmen Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO).

“Impoverished residents found ways to make a living out of the rich bakhawan forests of Del Carmen”, she said.

By cutting down these trees, it destroys fish habitats that contribute to diminishing catches and the community loses crucial barriers to strong storms that cause destruction in the residential areas. Wetland conservation became Gina's personal mission that she would always be seen at the frontlines to protect the forests—along the coast to check on the bakhawan, in a boat to face illegal mangrove cutters at sea, or in a court facing mangrove destroyers. "I am a government employee, and the people pay taxes for my salary. I know that I should repay them by doing my job as a MENRO well. For me, taking care of the forests is not just part of my work, it's a way to preserve our community’s natural resources," she remarked.

With the help of Gina, the local government of Del Carmen found ways to involve the community in rebuilding the mangrove forests: raising awareness through information dissemination, providing alternative sources of income, and equipping residents with the knowledge on how healthy mangrove forests benefit the community.

Their efforts paid off eventually—some of the mangrove poachers joined people's organizations like Kaanib ng mga Mangingisda at Magsasaka ng Numancia Aqua-Agrikultura (KAMAMANA) whose goal is to stop mangrove cutting and illegal fishing so that the forests can grow. It also paved the way for partnerships with other eco-conscious groups to pour in and help sustain their programs. One of these partnerships is with OMF, which engaged KAMAMANA and the local government in planting and growing 125,000 mangrove propagules in three sites covering 50 hectares. KAMAMANA members earn by planting these trees. By monitoring these trees from planting the propagules to taking care of their growth, the people become the guardians of a thriving ecosystem that benefits the entire community.

OFT is OMF’s core project on environmental sustainability. It is committed to help increase green cover by planting more trees in threatened forests and along critical watersheds that may also bring socio-economic benefits to local communities. To date, the program has planted more than 2.3 million trees, of which more than 300,000 are mangroves. These wetland and coastal reforestation sites are found in Aringay, La Union; Ibajay and Kalibo, Aklan; and Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte as well as a mangrove reforestation site in Toledo, Cebu managed by the Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen) Global Business Power. Other reforestation sites are found in Siniloan, Laguna; San Miguel, Bulacan, and various municipalities in the province of Bohol; Lambunao, Panay; Iloilo; Pangantucan, Bukidnon; and Butuan, Agusan del Norte.