DAVAO CITY(October 28) — A community volunteer group is arranging restorative measures after three minors were identified in the destruction of 117 mangrove seedlings at a rehabilitation site in Barangay Matina Aplaya, Davao City, earlier this month.
LakBai Tinabangay Volunteers Inc. said in an Oct. 22 Facebook update that it accompanied the minors’ guardians to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) in Bangkal, where the individuals’ ages were confirmed.
The group said it was arranging a tree-planting activity involving the minors and their guardians to help them understand the importance of mangroves and environmental protection. It will also submit the necessary affidavits and other documents to the concerned authorities.
LakBai Tinabangay said it would not publish photographs, videos or identifying information about the minors and urged the public not to circulate content that could reveal their identities.
The case raises questions about how the damaged rehabilitation site will be restored and what measures will prevent further destruction of young mangroves, which help protect coastal communities and sustain marine life.
As of writing, DENR-Davao had yet to issue a public statement on the latest developments.
DENR considers protective measures
In an Oct. 7 statement, DENR-Davao Region said the damage was reported on Oct. 3 and that CENRO-Davao City personnel found the seedlings smashed during an inspection on Oct. 5.
Before the minors were identified, the agency said initial findings suggested the seedlings may have been intentionally damaged. It said legal and administrative action would be pursued if warranted.
DENR-Davao Regional Executive Director Ma. Mercedes Dumagan said the agency was strengthening efforts to protect mangrove rehabilitation sites across the region.
Proposed measures include installing warning signs, intensifying environmental awareness campaigns and increasing monitoring through community partners and enforcement personnel, Dumagan said.
Community volunteers, including LakBai Tinabangay Volunteers Inc., Sta. Ana Shrine Parish and Holy Cross of Davao College, have also been involved in local environmental initiatives.
Tagum students, partners plant mangroves
In a separate activity, the Department of Education (DepEd) Tagum City Division led a mangrove-planting activity at Hijo Resorts in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City, on Oct. 24 as part of its climate change adaptation and mitigation program.
Disaster risk reduction and management focal persons from DepEd’s regional and central offices joined local partners from Hijo Resorts in planting seedlings in selected coastal areas, the division said in a Facebook post.
DENR has said mangroves help reduce coastal erosion and weaken storm surges. They also provide breeding grounds for marine life and absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
On Oct. 18, the agency said it was expanding forest protection and reforestation efforts, including mangrove planting, to help ecosystems withstand the effects of El Niño.
The Matina Aplaya incident highlights the need to protect newly planted mangroves beyond planting activities. Restoring damaged seedlings, monitoring rehabilitation sites and engaging nearby communities are essential to ensuring that environmental investments survive and deliver long-term benefits.
For the three minors, the proposed restorative activity offers an opportunity to learn about the damage and participate in repairing it, while authorities determine what further action, if any, is appropriate. Protecting their identities is also essential as the case proceeds.
