_{In photo: Project partners ratify the Tubo-Tubo Island Mangrove Conservation Project. (L-R) Orani Mayor Antonio Arizapa Jr.; Bataan 3rd District Representative Maria Angela Garcia; DENR Secretary Atty. Raphael P.M. Lotilla; AboitizPower COO – Operated Assets Ronaldo Ramos; and Tubo-Tubo Fisherfolks Association Chairman Rosana Laxa sign the Memorandum of Agreement at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City.}

Photo credit: AboitizPower

Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Provincial Government of Bataan, the Municipal Government of Orani, and the Tubo-Tubo Fisherfolks Association have launched a PHP 14-million, five-year project to restore 10 hectares of mangroves in Barangay Kabalutan, Orani, Bataan.

The initiative, called the Tubo-Tubo Island Mangrove Conservation Project, seeks to reverse the province’s mangrove loss, which dropped from 3.95 square kilometers in 2012 to 1.56 square kilometers in 2016 due to human activity and climate change. It involves planting, monitoring, protection measures, and awareness campaigns that can be replicated by other communities.

DENR Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said the project symbolizes the balance between progress and preservation. “Today is far more than signing a MOA. It marks a significant milestone in our journey towards resilience, environmental sustainability, and inclusive development. [This] agreement is our collective assertion that development will not come at the expense of the environment,” he said.

Orani Mayor Antonio Arizapa Jr. added: “Aside from serving as spawning grounds for marine life, mangroves also protect our area from storm surges [and] helps the environment by absorbing carbon. This project shows that real progress happens when the government, private sector, and communities work together.”

Mangroves are vital ecosystems that shield coastal towns from storm surges and erosion, filter water, and sustain marine life critical to local livelihoods.

The project supports DENR Administrative Order 15-90 on mangrove management and aligns with Project Transform, the agency’s science-based program to boost climate resilience.

It also builds on AboitizPower’s other mangrove initiatives through its subsidiaries GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin (GNPD), which already cover 20 hectares across Samal, Abucay, and Morong. With the new Tubo-Tubo project, AboitizPower’s total conservation efforts in Bataan now span 30 hectares.

How can government, private sector, and local communities further strengthen partnerships to protect vital ecosystems like mangroves?

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