Mangrove walkways — elevated boardwalks that wind through tidal forests — are among the most appropriate infrastructure for sensitive mangrove areas. By lifting visitors above the mudflats and root systems, these structures allow people to experience mangroves without trampling seedlings, compacting soil, or disrupting the delicate intertidal environment.

The Pansol Mangrove Walkway in Naga City, Camarines Sur; Manublin Mangrove Boardwalk in Dumangas, Iloilo; and Bagong Silang Mangrove Walkway in Zamboanga City are some examples of bakawan boardwalks. Other coastal communities with mangrove areas are also adopting similar eco-friendly structure.

Travel and Tourism Management students from Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite designed a bamboo boardwalk for the Pugad Baboy Mangrove Forest and Eco-Tourism Park in Kawit, Cavite that won an award in the 2025 Tourism Start-Up Challenge organized by the Department of Tourism and the Commission on Higher Education.

The concept which was declared as regional winner (for CALABARZON) also received a grant of P250,000 during the awarding ceremony at Seda Vertis North on 12 May.

The students’ coach and dean of the LPUC College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Dr. Ivan Bartolata, said the design can enhance the tourism potential of the eco-park.

Bartolata explained that visitors currently need to take a boat ride to reach the main mangrove area. Once the bamboo walkway is built, tourists can simply walk deeper into the tidal forest.

“We are also targeting a certain area of the mangroves where many migratory birds can be viewed,” he added.

The proposed passageway will span 200 meters and will primarily be made of bamboo, a sustainable construction material.

“That particular 200-meter stretch is what we consider the gateway to a mangrove paradise,” Bartolata said.

Mangrove walkways exemplify how infrastructure can coexist with sensitive ecosystems. By elevating human activity above the fragile intertidal zone, using durable corrosion-resistant materials, and employing low-impact construction methods, these structures protect mangrove biodiversity while enabling education, eco-tourism and Philippine community connection to one of the planet’s most valuable coastal habitats.