A power utility in Mariveles, Bataan has shifted to high gear its five-year mangrove protection and preservation drive with a multi-sector forum held in Orani town.
The event was spearheaded by the GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC) which is undertaking the P6.8-million mangrove adoption and protection project covering five hectares area in Orani, Bataan for a five-year period.
The affair, dubbed Environmental Forum on Understanding Climate Change and Mangroves was recently conducted by the company in Sitio Pulo, Barangay Kabalutan, Orani as an activity of the project.
Gathered together more than 150 participants, inclung GMEC personnel, representatives of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, school officials, teachers, and students.
The event featured presentations on climate change, mangrove ecology and conservation, threats to mangrove survival, and the benefits people derive the ecosystem. Butch Gunio
“There is only one planet we live on, and it is our duty to take care of it. For our youth, let us understand the importance of mangroves, climate change mitigation, and the things we can still do to continue protecting our environment,” said GMEC assistant vice president for community relations Arcel Madrid.
A poster-making contest and quiz bee were also held, with the winners receiving cash prizes and food packs from GMEC.
GMEC also donated electric fans, summer survival kits, and school supplies to the Pulo Integrated School.
According to the 2024 State of the Coasts of Bataan, mangrove area in the province decreased from 3.95 square kilometers to 1.56 square kilometers between 2012 and 2016.
GMEC launched the project by planting 12,500 mangrove propagules and seedlings in 2023 alone.