Project partners ratify the Tubo-Tubo Island Mangrove Conservation Project. (L-R) Orani Mayor Antonio Arizapa Jr.; Bataan 3rd District Representative Maria Angela Garcia; DENR Secretary Atty. Raphael P.M. Lotilla; AboitizPower COO - Operated Assets Ronaldo Ramos; and Tubo-Tubo Fisherfolks Association Chairman Rosana Laxa sign the Memorandum of Agreement at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City.
A five-year, P14-million project to establish and steward 10 hectares of mangrove forest in Barangay Kabalutan, Orani, Bataan was formalized by national and local governments together with Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) and a local community-based organization.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Provincial Government of Bataan, and the 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 square kilometers to 1.56 square kilometers between 2012 and 2016 due to human activity and climate change. The project aims to help solve this problem through mangrove planting activities, regular monitoring, protection measures, and community awareness campaigns that local and national stakeholders can replicate.
Mangroves can shield coastal communities from storm surges and erosion, filter water, and nurture marine life that sustains the communities.
The Tubo-Tubo Island Mangrove Conservation Project supports DENR Administrative Order 15-90, which outlines regulations for the utilization, development, and management of mangrove resources in the Philippines, and aligns with the agency’s Project Transform, a science-based program to strengthen resilience against climate change.
The project also follows existing environmental projects of GMEC and GNPD in other parts of Bataan like in Samal, Abucay, and Morong, bringing its 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., explaining the program’s significance to his municipality. “This project shows that real progress happens when the government, private sector, and communities work together.”
Bataan is home to the GMEC and GNPD facilities. Both entities are private limited partnerships, with AboitizPower having a 78.3% and 70% effective partnership interest in each, respectively.
