Province fast tracks mangrove planting

In an effort to achieve the target this year, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the
Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is fast tracking to plant mangroves in the coastal municipalities in Bohol.
Remedios Regacho, Chief-Fishery Division-OPA accounted that of the one million mangroves target to be
planted this year, some 347,600 pieces of propagules and seedlings had been planted as of Wednesday since January
this year.
Regachobared that of these number of pieces, 93,000 were planted in Cabul-an, Buenavista; 60,000 Nasingin
Island, Getafe; 50,000 (San Francisco, Talibon); 43,000 (Macaas, Tubigon); 23,000 (Valencia); 22,000 (Calape);
21,000 (Loon); 13,000 (Loay); Taguihon, Baclayon and Canigaan, Sandingan Island, Loon at 1,300 pieces each, and
other coastal municipalities in Bohol.
She disclosed that the PGBh has appreciated much the chief executives of the Municipal Local Government
Units (MLGUs) who have been helping this endeavor like Mayor Dave Duallo of Buenavista who draws from his
own pocket just to hire workers to help the LGU employees, Cabul-an East Fishermen’s Association, and OPA staff
to plant thousand pieces of propagules and seedlings in Cabul-an Island.
However, she admitted that the one million target could hardly be achieved because of so many factors such as;
non-acceptance of some LGUs because the program actually has no labor components, and the difficulty in the
procurement of planting materials considering also that the mangrove propagules could only be available in the
months of June, July and August and not all year round.
In fact, Regacho said that she maximizes the services of her staff to plant the mangrove propagules and seedlings
and so with the bagging of mangrove seedlings and as such she appreciated most the LGUs whose employees would
lead and help in the planting activities.
This significant stride of the PGBh is very useful to our environment because according to Barner and other
known environmentalists and researchers the mangrove valuations are estimated as follows: raw materials and food,
coastal protection, erosion control, maintenance of fisheries or nursery ground of fish, carbon sequestration and
filters sediments from upland.

GREEN ADVOCACY

It may be recalled that in the green advocacy of Gov. Art C. Yap he launched the “Tree Growing Activity” of the
PGBh in Barangay Calanggaman, Ubay, Bohol last September 1, 2019 which aims to plant and grow 3 million trees
including fruit trees and 4 million mangroves in three years.
At that time, Gov. Yap together with the employees of the OPA, Bohol Environment Management Office
(BEMO), Education Development Center (EDCenter) and President Carlos P. Garcia Scholars planted the varieties
of fruit-bearing trees and trees in an area owned by Ubay Waterworks Service Cooperative (UWASCO) in
Calanggaman which is an adopted “Tree Growing Park” for CPG Scholars as part of their social responsibility.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that Gov. Yap is very determined to make Bohol green
by growing 7 million trees within his first term as governor.
Pamugas, however, emphasized that in this program, the PGBh has the guidelines to be followed so that our
efforts would not go into waste or couldn’t be called as “plant and forget activity.” (Atoy Cosap)
HITTING TARGET.The staff of the Fishery Division, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) lead in the
planting of mangroves in the different coastal municipalities in the province of Bohol in an effort to achieve
the targeted one million mangroves propagules and seedlings to be planted this year.