Volunteers in Tawi-Tawi join the Multi-Stakeholders Simultaneous Mangrove Planting on July 26, 2026, conducted in celebration of World Mangrove Day. (Photo courtesy of PLGU Tawi-Tawi)
ZAMBOANGA CITY (July 31) — THREE THOUSAND mangrove propagules now stand as a small but important line of defense for a Tawi-Tawi coastal community facing the growing threats of erosion, storm surges and rising seas.
About 250 volunteers planted the locally produced Rhizophora propagules and cleared 1.5 hectares of coastline at Sitio Lambus, Barangay Mandulan, Bongao on July 26 as the province marked World Mangrove Day.
The activity was led by the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Office (PENREO) in partnership with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
It formed part of a simultaneous mangrove planting campaign across the Bangsamoro spearheaded by Kutawato Greenland Initiatives Inc. (KGI) and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (MENRE).
Across five coastal sites in the region, 1,674 volunteers planted 13,785 mangrove propagules and seedlings.
But in Tawi-Tawi, the effort was about more than putting seedlings into the mud.
It was also about making sure the coastline where they were planted would remain clean enough for them to survive.
“We also conducted coastal clean-up to ensure that our efforts in planting will not be wasted,” said Chief Forester Alcadra I. Sabal Jr. of PENREO Tawi-Tawi.
Sabal said the site was selected for its potential for long-term sustainability and stressed that the activity was also a way of bringing MENRE’s environmental mandate closer to communities.
A natural shield for coastal families
For island communities like those in Tawi-Tawi, mangroves are more than trees growing along the water.
They form a natural buffer against storm surges, coastal erosion and rising sea levels, helping protect homes and communities from the impact of extreme weather.
They also provide breeding and nursery grounds for fish, crabs and other marine life—resources that many coastal families depend on for food and income.
That makes every surviving mangrove potentially important not only to the environment but also to the livelihood and safety of communities.
PENREO said the newly planted propagules will be monitored by MENRE’s Palaw Rangers to track their growth and survival.
Keeping the mangroves alive
The bigger challenge now is ensuring that the 3,000 propagules survive long after the volunteers have left the planting site.
The activity brought together national and regional government agencies, local governments, civil society organizations, academic institutions, youth groups, law enforcement agencies and community volunteers.
For MENRE and its partners, that broad participation is essential because mangrove restoration cannot end with a single planting day.
The goal is to build long-term community stewardship of coastal ecosystems and strengthen public participation in biodiversity conservation and climate action.
In Tawi-Tawi, the message is simple: planting mangroves protects more than the shoreline—it helps protect the communities and livelihoods that depend on it.
