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