When Typhoon Odette hit the Visayas it was yet another underestimated storm. Estimates show that 1.7 million houses were damaged or destroyed and 9.9 million people were affected across the six worst-hit regions. Almost 144,000 people remain displaced, and many more are living in damaged shelters with little access to basic services (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).
Mangroves to the rescue
One of the worst hit was an island that was among the first hit: Siargao island. However a community there, in the town of Del Carmen, seemed to have suffered less damage than surrounding areas. All thanks to mangroves.
4,000 hectares of coastline there is lined with these natural barriers or "sentinels of the sea." They are part of the Siargao Islands Protected Landscapes and Seascapes or SIPLAS. To help acknowledge mangroves and their importance to people, I decided to draw artwork showing a storm surge being slowed by a frontline of mangrove forest above.
Eight species of seagrass, representing half of all species found in the Philippines (and Southeast Asia), and 59 species of seaweeds can be found in SIPLAS.
Another instance in which mangroves protected people was when Typhoon Yolanda hit the town of Giporlos in Eastern Samar in 2013.
Yolanda brought storm surges to neighboring Barangays Bacjao and Parina in Giporlos. Despite being named after the local name for mangrove, Brgy. Bacjao sufferred more damage than Brgy. Parina which sufferred less. This was because only Parina had a crucial 9 hectares of mangroves to protect them. I decided to depict this in my art as well, below.
See the article about it here.
Marine protected areas or MPAs
One of the ways Filipinos can use policy to help protect important mangrove ecosystems, is by establishing marine protected areas or MPAs that include them.
MPAs are most effective if they are built and maintained by local communities. By establishing MPAs with communities as managers, they can be an effective disaster risk reduction strategy.
Not only that, but they have been used to sustain local fisheries.
Labahita refers to different species of surgeonfish found in the Philippines. And they seem to like MPAs.
After an MPA was established around Apo Island off the coast of Negros, fish populations of labahita and other species tripled. This not only increased supply, but reduced the amount of effort and fuel fishers use to catch fish.
According to food blogger and restaurant owner Joel Binamira, Labahita is a white meat fish that is delicious grilled with sides of sawsawan, or fried whole. Depending on the region, it can be cheaper to buy than fish such as the flavorful Lapu-lapu or Talakitok.
As you can see, environment conservation efforts such as marine protected areas, have multiple benefits as long as they are built and managed by local communities. Maybe one day governments the world over, not just in the Philippines, will begin working around the clock in partnership with neighborhoods to strengthen our mangrove protection and boost our fish supplies.
