THE city of Alaminos in the province of Pangasinan can look forward to a more vibrant coastal ecosystem with the Mangrove Propagation Information Center (MPIC). To be opened on February 15, the two-story, 275-square-meter structure in the coastal village of Bued comprises of an information center and an view deck for bird watching, overseeing an 8.17-hectare mangrove area.
The center is a private-public collaboration between the city government of Alaminos and Metro Pacific Investment Corp. as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Started in 2013, the MPIC will be the center for development of mangrove nurseries, the multiplication and planting of mangrove trees in coastal estuarine areas, and the rehabilitation of degraded mangrove ecosystem.
“The mangrove is a vital ecosystem, and the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation is doing its share in protecting and propagating it through this legacy project of Shore It Up [SIU], our flagship environmental sustainability program,” said Melody del Rosario, Metro Pacific vice president for PR and corporate communications.
Del Rosario said the facility is envisioned to provide information to visitors about mangrove ecosystem, its benefits and how people can help propagate them.
Similar programs are also being carried out in Del Carmen town on Siargao Island and in Bohol to sustain the conglomerate’s environmental initiatives. The mangrove ecosystem is made up of woody plant species associated with characteristic fauna and flora and anaerobic soils found in the intertidal zone. Often referred to as coastal woodland, tidal forest and mangrove forest, they provide food and shelter for a diverse group of fishes and shellfish, and provide protection from storm surges and high winds.
Mangroves also serve as a wildlife sanctuary, and protects against soil erosion and sedimentation in the sea, which degrade coral reefs. “The MPIC is part of the partnership of Metro Pacific and the Alaminos City government when the MVP Group of Companies did the Shore It Up underwater cleanup at the Hundred Islands National Park in 2010 and 2013,” del Rosario said.
She added that with the endeavor, Metro Pacific hopes to bring a long-term partnership to bring about positive impact on the environment, economic and socio-cultural life of Alaminos City and the province of Pangasinan.
She revealed that the MVP Group of Companies is scouting for other communities in the Visayas to complete the nationwide presence of mangrove centers under the SIU.
The country’s longest corporate-backed environmental program, SIU mobilizes volunteer scuba divers from the conglomerate’s member-companies to clean the seabed from nonbiodegradable waste materials. It also taps local groups and communities to undertake a simultaneous coastal cleanup.
A vital component of the SIU is the Junior Environmental Scouts, a two-hour seminar involving elementary-school students to inculcate in them the concern for Mother Earth through art. Since its inception in 2009 after Typhoon Ondoy struck the country, the program has been held in various coastal areas, such as Mabini, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Subic Bay Freeport Zone; Del Carmen in Siargao Island; and Panglao and Pamilacan Islands in Bohol.
SIU has tapped more than 70,000 volunteers, and has partnered with some 300 local and national government agencies, community organizations, sociocivic groups and private entities.
Shore It Up is a recipient of the Anvil Award of Merit from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines for its sustained environmental program from 2011 to 2013. It was also accorded the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program in the Corporate Governance Asia Award in the same period.