A five-year, ₱14-million project to establish and steward 10 hectares of mangrove forest in Barangay Kabalutan, Orani, Bataan was formalized by national and local governments with Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) and a local community-based organization.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Provincial Government of Bataan, and Local Government of Orani signed a Memorandum of Agreement with AboitizPower—through GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin (GNPD)—and the Tubo-Tubo Fisherfolks Association to establish the Tubo-Tubo Island Mangrove Conservation Project.
According to the 2024 State of the Coasts of Bataan, the province’s mangrove area decreased from 3.95 to 1.56 square kilometers between 2012 and 2016 due to human activity and climate change. The project addresses this through mangrove planting, monitoring, protection measures, and community awareness campaigns for stakeholder replication.
Mangroves shield coastal communities from storm surges and erosion, filter water, and nurture marine life sustaining local communities.
The project supports DENR Administrative Order 15-90 for mangrove resource management and aligns with the agency’s Project Transform, a science-based climate resilience program. It follows existing GMEC and GNPD environmental projects in Samal, Abucay, and Morong, bringing total conservation efforts to 30 hectares.
“Today is far more than signing a MOA. It marks a significant milestone in our journey towards resilience, environmental sustainability, and inclusive development,” said DENR Secretary Atty. Raphael P.M. Lotilla. “[This] agreement is our collective assertion that development will not come at the expense of the environment.”
“Aside from serving as spawning grounds for marine life, mangroves also protect our area from storm surges [and] helps the environment by absorbing carbon,” added Orani Mayor Antonio Arizapa Jr. “This project shows that real progress happens when the government, private sector, and communities work together.”
