Metro Pacific Foundation Commits P1.219 Million to Bolster Mangrove Conservation in Siargao's Del Carmen
Key Takeaways
- •MPIF and the municipality of Del Carmen signed a memorandum of agreement granting P1.219 million to improve the Mangrove Protection and Information Center II on Siargao Island.
- •The facility, described by the parties as the only mangrove center in Mindanao, is intended to serve as a hub for environmental education, community participation, research, and knowledge sharing.
- •The agreement continues a partnership between MPIF and Del Carmen that has now run for 13 years.
- •MPIF's cumulative assistance to Del Carmen is estimated at P11.7 million, covering conservation facility development, allowances for mangrove eco-guides and recovery support after Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) in December 2021.
- •Del Carmen hosts mangrove forests considered among the largest contiguous stands in the Philippines, which act as a natural storm buffer and support local fishing livelihoods.
The Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF), the social development arm of infrastructure holding firm Metro Pacific Investments Corp., has strengthened its long-running partnership with the municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, through a newly signed agreement to enhance mangrove conservation on Siargao Island.
Under the memorandum of agreement (MoA), P1.219 million in financial assistance will be granted for the improvement of the Mangrove Protection and Information Center II, which the parties described as the lone mangrove center in Mindanao. In a statement issued on Tuesday, MPIF said the facility is envisioned to serve as a hub for environmental education, community participation, research, and knowledge sharing.
“Protecting our mangroves is not just planting trees. It is about protecting lives, livelihoods, and the future of our communities,” MPIF President Melody M. del Rosario said.
According to the foundation, the MoA is designed not only to upgrade the facility but also to sustain a partnership with Del Carmen now in its 13th year. Over that period, MPIF has extended an estimated P11.7 million in support to the municipality, covering the development and improvement of conservation facilities, allowances for local mangrove eco-guides, and recovery assistance following Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), the powerful typhoon that devastated Siargao and other parts of the central and southern Philippines in December 2021.
Del Carmen sits on Siargao, an island widely known as one of the Philippines' top surfing destinations. The municipality hosts extensive mangrove forests, regarded as among the largest contiguous mangrove stands in the country, which serve as a natural buffer against storms and support nearby fishing livelihoods. Mangves are also among the planet's most carbon-rich ecosystems and serve as nurseries for fish and other marine life, adding climate and food-security significance to their preservation for coastal towns such as Del Carmen.
How the upgraded center builds out its environmental education, research, and community programs will offer a window into the next phase of the 13-year, corporate-backed conservation partnership.
“In development work, it is easy to launch a project. What is more important and more challenging is to sustain it, nurture it, and ensure that it continues to create value long after the launch,” Ms. del Rosario added.
Source: BusinessWorld
