Tacloban: A nine-hectare mangrove area in the coastal village of Paraiso is being considered as an urban green space to enhance climate resilience and promote environmental conservation in the city. Drawing from the lessons of Super Typhoon Yolanda’s destruction in 2013, efforts are underway to conserve the Paraiso Mangrove and Eco-learning Park through a partnership led by Pintakasi for Landscape Restoration Inc., the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and the City Agriculture Office.
According to Philippines News Agency, the collaboration has also involved State Universities and Colleges to raise student awareness about the significance of mangrove forests. Josephine Agustin, president of Pintakasi Inc., emphasized the importance of engaging youth with the mangrove park to understand its impact and importance on human living in nearby communities.
CENRO chief Marito Barillo noted that the mangroves acted as a buffer during Yolanda’s storm surge, protecting homes from destruction despite ships being washed ashore. Since 2015, typhoon survivors have been actively participating in rehabilitating the mangrove zone, which has attracted further support to expand the plantation.
Barillo highlighted the community’s dedication in rehabilitating the area, which facilitated their collaboration with organizations to expand the mangrove plantation. The park is recommended as an urban green space and has started generating income through an environmental fee collected from visitors, benefiting the fisherfolk group managing the site.
Despite challenges like limited public land, private land ownership, and a lack of grassroots initiatives, the park remains the city’s sole mangrove eco-tourism site. Mangrove forests, home to diverse marine life, provide essential food sources for coastal communities and serve as nurseries for many fish species. According to the World Wide Fund (WWF), the dense root systems of mangroves help stabilize coastlines and prevent erosion from waves and storms.
