DENR 6 led mangrove conservation thru clean-up drive

Iloilo City- In celebration of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 6 conducted a clean-up drive at Leganes Integrated Katunggan Eco-park (LIKE) on July 26, 2024.

In partnership with the LGU Leganes thru the office of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), the Bantay Dagat of LGU Leganes, Coastal Barangay Mangrove Seedlings Growers Association, and Zoological Society of London (ZSL)-Philippines, the DENR 6 together with the local volunteers carried out the advocacy with the theme: “Mangroves: Stewards of Blue Economy.” This activity aimed to promote mangrove conservation and the benefits we obtain through nurturing them.

The volunteers were grouped and were tasked to list the types of garbage collected using the Volunteer Ocean Trash Data Form. The most common trash collected were plastic bags, plastic bottles, food wrappers, and cans. Besides picking up trash, volunteers helped pick algae from the mangroves as it can weigh them down and block their growth over time.

A total of 84 participants of which 38 are males and 46 are females, have collected 19 sacks of wastes weighing 166.5 kilograms.

Mangrove’s absorption of carbon helps reduce global warming as there is less carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere. This activity helps to raise awareness about the importance of mangrove and its significance in coastal populations. The conservation of mangrove forests plays a huge part in mitigating the impacts of storms and floods./DENR 6