‘We don’t feel like mere beneficiaries — we feel like family looking out for one another.’
MANGROVE rehabilitation efforts covering around 37 hectares are underway in the coastal towns of Morong and Orani, as partnerships between the private sector, local governments and fisherfolk help restore marine ecosystems and protect communities from strong waves.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of aboitiz/fb page
MARIVELES, Bataan — Power firms, local governments and fishing communities in Bataan are teaming up to restore coastal ecosystems and protect livelihoods, demonstrating how energy operations can support environmental stewardship.
AboitizPower subsidiaries GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin (GNPD) have been working with local government units and fisherfolk to rehabilitate mangroves and protect sea turtles in coastal towns such as Morong, Orani and Samal.
Across parts of Orani and Samal, around 37 hectares of mangroves have been rehabilitated and maintained, serving as natural coastal barriers and breeding grounds for fish, crabs and shrimp.
“When the mangroves are healthy, fish, crabs and shrimp return. Our catch improves. At the same time, they protect us from strong waves,” said Marcelindo Silvestre of the TuboTubo Fisherfolks Association.
Silvestre said GMEC and GNPD consult communities on their needs and conditions at sea. “We don’t feel like mere beneficiaries — we feel like family looking out for one another,” he said.
In Sitio Fuerte, Morong, the Sagip PaWeCan initiative relocates sea turtle eggs from vulnerable nesting areas to a protected hatchery, improving hatchling survival. Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office officerincharge Raphael de Leon said the program has boosted Bataan’s sea turtle population, strengthened ecotourism and raised environmental awareness.
Since 2023, thousands of hatchlings have been released back into the sea with the help of local partners, including the PGENRO. AboitizPower officials said these initiatives, though modest compared to fullscale power generation, reflect a broader shift toward integrating environmental and social responsibility in daily operations.
“It’s easy to see us only as a source of electricity,” one company representative said. “But we share the same coastlines and the same future as these coastal villages. Our work doesn’t end with producing power — it continues in the health of the sea and the resilience of these communities.”
GMEC and GNPD, which operate baseload facilities vital to grid reliability, said long-term sustainability depends on sustained engagement, shared accountability and results that communities can “see, own and sustain.”
