29/09/2026
[ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ ]
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐, ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐.
by Jollyren Sante
How mangroves protect Iloiloโs marine ecosystems while science guides coastal development
At first glance, mangroves may seem like an ordinary tree growing in muddy coastal waters. But beneath the surface, its roots are constantly working.
Mangrove forests stabilize coastlines by reducing erosion from waves, tides, currents, and storm surges. Their complex roots also provide shelter and nursery grounds for fish, crabs, shrimps, and other organisms. Above the water, their leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making mangroves an important part of coastal ecosystems. (NOAA, 2024)
In Iloilo, where rivers connect communities to the sea, protecting mangroves means protecting an entire network of life.
๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ
One of Iloiloโs conservation efforts is the Provincial Katunggan Ecological and Economic Park (ProKEEP) in Sitio Panus-on, Barangay Nabitasan, Leganes.
The Iloilo Provincial Government transformed an abandoned 10-hectare fishpond into a coastal greenbelt and conservation area. The project began in 2016 through the Katunggan: Coastal Greenbelt for BioCoCo Protection Project, with an initial budget of โฑ710,000 dedicated to mangrove rehabilitation, conservation, and community livelihood programs.
Approximately 100,000 mangrove seedlings, primarily Bungalon (Avicennia marina) and Pagatpat (Sonneratia alba), were planted. By 2026, PGENRO had documented 10 mangrove species within the park, as well as sightings of various migratory birds.
The project shows that ecological restoration is more than planting trees. It is about creating conditions where ecosystems can recover and support other forms of life.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐
Mangroves are specially adapted to survive in the area between the land and sea that is covered and uncovered by the tide, where they experience changing tides and water levels. Their complex roots provide shelter and nursery grounds for young marine organisms. (NOAA, 2024; FAO, n.d.)
The roots also slow water movement and trap sediments, helping stabilize shorelines and reduce erosion. This is important because mangroves are connected to nearby ecosystems such as seagrass beds, mudflats, and coral reefs. This function can help protect these neighboring habitats. (FAO, n.d.; NOAA, 2020)
Mangroves also play a role in climate regulation. Through photosynthesis, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon in their plants, roots, and waterlogged soils. Because these soils contain little oxygen, decomposition is slow, allowing carbon to remain stored for long periods. This is why mangroves are considered important blue carbon ecosystems. (FAO, n.d.; NOAA, 2024)
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐
The story of Iloiloโs coastal environment also flows through the Iloilo River.
The Iloilo River Esplanade has become a symbol of the cityโs connection with its waterway, providing a space where people can exercise or walk alongside the river while the watercourse continues to support a complex ecological system.
However, its development also demonstrates why science must guide coastal construction. According to DPWH Region 6 Director Wenceslao M. Leaรฑo Jr., the agency would retain approximately 10 kilometers of mangroves covered by the Esplanade sections and realign portions of the project to minimize its impact on the mangrove ecosystems.
This shows that infrastructure development must consider water movement, soil stability, habitats, and vegetation. In coastal areas, even small changes can affect interconnected ecosystems.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Water connects land, rivers, and the sea. Rainwater and runoff can carry sediments and pollutants into rivers, which eventually transport them toward coastal waters.
This makes watershed and coastal management closely connected. A cleaner river can contribute to healthier coastal waters, while mangroves can help trap sediments and pollutants before they reach coastal waters.
The rehabilitation of the Iloilo River, including efforts by the Iloilo-Batiano River Development Council, therefore goes beyond making the area more attractive. It is also about protecting the ecological system surrounding the river.
๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐, ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
In 2026, the Iloilo Provincial Government and the Zoological Society of London-Philippines partnered to restore mangrove and beach forests, strengthen marine protected-area management, and improve research on mangrove rehabilitation and blue carbon. The partnership also includes training, monitoring, and community participation.
Iloilo City also established coastal greenbelt zones to protect and rehabilitate mangroves and other coastal vegetation.
These efforts show that coastal protection does not have to depend only on concrete structures. Healthy ecosystems can also serve as natural defenses by reducing wave energy, stabilizing shorelines, and strengthening community resilience.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Planting mangroves is only the beginning. Young trees must survive, forests must be maintained, pollution must be controlled, and development must be carefully planned.
Beyond planting, ProKEEP also focuses on environmental education, ecotourism, community participation, and sustainable economic activities. In May 2026, a coastal cleanup in Leganes, Iloilo collected 117 kilograms of waste, including plastic bottles, wrappers, styrofoam, fishing nets, and other debris.
The amount collected from one cleanup highlights a larger truth: ecosystems cannot fully protect communities if people continue to pollute them.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
From the mangroves of Leganes to the Iloilo River, one lesson stands out: nature is part of the infrastructure that keeps communities alive.
Mangrove roots shelter marine life, trap sediments, store carbon, and stabilize shorelines. Rivers connect communities to the coast, while healthy coastal ecosystems support fisheries and protect communities from hazards.
Iloiloโs challenge is not choosing between progress and nature. It is learning how to make progress with nature.
A cityโs progress should not be measured only by its infrastructures, but also by how well it protects the environment that sustains its people. The future of Iloilo may depend not only on the buildings and roads it develops, but also on the roots it chooses to protect.
And where those roots meet the river, science is already telling us where to begin.
![[ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ ]๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐, ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐.by Jollyren Sante How mangroves protect Iloiloโs marine ecosystems while sci...](https://img3.schoolandcollegelistings.com/506/836/1634183425068368.jpg)
