02 May 2014

Ocean Month celebration highlights importance of mangroves

As the nation celebrates Month of the Ocean (MOO) this May, the Department of Environment
and at!ral "eso!rces (DE") has lined !p activities desi#ned to dra$ attention to the important role
that man#roves play in protectin# the co!ntry%s coastlines and their inhabitants&

DE" 'ecretary "amon (&)& )a*e said this year%s theme, +Man#roves protect& )rotect
man#roves,, is e-tremely timely and si#nificant in li#ht of the ma#nit!de of the destr!ction $ro!#ht
by .olanda, $hich is said to be the stron#est tropical typhoon ever recorded&

+/nfort!nate the disaster may have been, .olanda !ndo!btedly $as an instant ed!cation for
0ilipino people on $hat storm s!r#es are, and $as a r!de a$a1enin# of sort on the state of o!r coastal
comm!nities and their lac1 of protection from these nat!ral events,, )a*e pointed o!t&

2he environment chief said that sadly, .olanda and other e-treme $eather events before it are
part of the so3called +ne$ normal, as impacts of climate chan#e increase&

4!t the #ood ne$s is, he said, man#roves can help coastal comm!nities adapt to climate
chan#e&

+5e hope everyone no$ appreciates and !nderstands, more than ever, the importance of
protectin# and rehabilitatin# o!r man#rove forests,, )a*e said&

+Man#roves protect !s not only from stron# $aves and storm s!r#es, b!t also help clean the air
and $ater alon# o!r coastal 6ones, and provide food sec!rity and livelihood to the comm!nities,, he
added&

2he DE", to#ether $ith its partners from both the private and #overnment sectors and
environmental #ro!ps, $ill 1ic1 off the MOO celebration at the DE" #ro!nds in 7!e6on 8ity
on May 9 $ith Director 2heresa M!ndita :im of the 4iodiversity Mana#ement 4!rea! #ivin# a tal1
abo!t the festivity and the !nveilin# of the MOO 2014 lo#o&

2he ne$ lo#o feat!res elements that incorporate the role of man#roves in protectin#
comm!nities and other benefits it provide, and conversely, the need for h!mans to be responsible
ste$ards of nat!re&

)rior to the 1ic1 off, 'hore ;t /p < a pro*ect of Metro )acific ;nvestments < $ill la!nch
Man#rove )rotection ;nformation 8enters in )an#asinan and 4ohol provinces from May 1 to 4& ;t $ill
also cond!ct clean!p activities alon# the shorelines of 4ohol&

0rom May 9310, the DE" $ill ta1e part in the =th ational 'co!t >ent!re 8amp in :in#ayen
to$n in )an#asinan, administerin# lect!re, environmental #ames and chants, and interactive e-hibit to
some 4,900 sco!ts from all over the co!ntry&
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
N E W S
Public Afairs Ofce
Tel. Nos: 928.29.10 / 926.98.0
!"mail: denr.pao@gmail.com

A bi1e to!r, $hich has a theme +)adya1an? 'a#ip 4a1a$an,, $ill be held on May 1@ from the
inoy AA!ino )ar1s and 5ildlife 8enter (A)58) in 7!e6on 8ity to the :as )iBas3)araBaA!e
8ritical Cabitat and Ecoto!rism Area (:))8CEA)&

2he to!r $ill c!lminate in a man#rove clean!p at the :))8CEA to be led by 0irefly 4ri#ade, a
vol!nteer #ro!p of cyclists advocatin# for cyclin# as a cleaner mode of transportation&

0rom May 1 to 21, environmental partners 5orld 5ildlife 0!nd for at!re (550),
8onservation ;nternational (8;)3)hilippines, and 8onserve and )rotect Oceans, ;nc& $ill hold the
+4ayani n# 4a1a$an, short video essay event&

2his $ill allo$ the p!blic, !sin# phone cameras and other video3recordin# devices, to record
videos of ho$ ordinary people commit to care and protect man#roves in their comm!nities& >ideos
may then be shared thro!#h social media pa#es s!ch as the MOO pa#es on 0aceboo1, ;nsta#ram and
Doo#leE, or !ploaded on pop!lar $ebsites s!ch as .o!t!be and >imeo&

On May 22, the co!ntry $ill *oin the #lobal comm!nity in celebratin# the ;nternational Day of
4iolo#ical Diversity (;D4D) $ith a theme, +;sland 4iodiversity&, 2his $ill be hi#hli#hted by a .o!th
'!mmer 8amp to be held at the A)58 from May 22 to (!ne 22F a biodiversity photo contest themed
+)rotectin# the "eservoir of :ife, 'elfie for 4iodiversity,F and the la!nchin# of a coffee table boo1
entitled, +2reas!res of the )hilippine 5ild&,

D!rin# the month3lon# MOO celebration, the DE" $ill also cond!ct trainin#s on man#rove
and coastal and marine ecosystems, yo!th camps, coral reef and man#rove dama#e assessment, amon#
others&

)residential )roclamation o& 9G iss!ed in 1HHH declared May as the Month of the Ocean& ;t
mandates the DE" and the Department of A#ric!lt!re34!rea! of 0isheries and AA!atic "eso!rces to
spearhead the observance of MOO and hi#hli#ht the need to conserve and protect the co!ntry%s coastal
and ocean reso!rces&

2he )hilippines is home to 4G tr!e man#rove and man#rove associate species&

DENR press releases and other news/featre art!"les are posted at the DENR we#s!te: www.denr.gov.ph . For $er!es/"o%%ents& wr!te' denr.pao@gmail.com