2 June 2018, Hagonoy, Bulacan. Thanks to Biogenic Alcohol, a leading brand of Cosmetique Asia Corporation in the Philippines, one thousand native Philippine mangrove trees were planted by 43 volunteers from Biogenic and Rakso CT – the marketing partner of Biogenic. (See full Photo Journey below).

The happy group travelled by several motorised banks and a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) boat to the mangrove protected planting site organised by FEED’s Living Legacy partners the Hagonoy Fish Farmer Producer’s Cooperative – represented by its leader and long time planting partner of FEED, Mr. Vic Cruz in collaboration with the local ‘Bantay Dagat‘ (Sea Guards); Office of the Honorable Mayor of Hagonoy, Bulacan, Raulito ‘Amboy’ Manlapaz, Sr.; and the DENR.

State of Mangroves, Bulacan (2012). Source: https://www.slideshare.net/mangroveecologyph/state-of-the-mangroves-bulacan

This planting is one of many mangrove, coastal protection plantings FEED has organised and participated in with the direct support of various Municipalities in Bulacan Province, as part of the “Great Wall of Mangroves” being endorsed by the Governor’s office.

The Great Wall of Mangroves was an initiative conceived by the current Mayor of Malolos, Honorable Christian Natividad, a long time advocate for ecological preservation and livelihood development in Malolos and Bulacan.

Hagonoy also hosts approximately 50% of the fisherfolk in Bulacan Province.

Biogenic’s support of these initiatives also forms part of the Province’s greater vision to develop an integrated coastal zone management protected area in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces, as initiated by the Alyansa ng mag Babying Bayan ng Bulacan at Pampanga (ABB-BP) – an independent non-profit organisation focused on solutions supporting Disaster Resilience & Flood Protection.

Hon. Mayor Amboy’s site was selected as the ideal location at this time, as it passed FEED’s criteria for site selection, as it is a typical fishing pond of which the majority of Hagonoy bases its livelihood sources from. FEED’s site criteria selected were based primarily on:

the safety of participants, including arrival up to access, planting and departure from site;
level of pragmatic solutions benefiting the community in terms of flood protection and alternative livelihood development source;
intervention success rate, i.e. survival of species;
level of criticality/urgency, vis a vis other areas requiring coastal/fluvial protection or livelihood source;
maintenance and monitoring capabilities of the site/those responsible for the site; and
demonstrating the highest level of potential to prototype and set an example for other sites.

In immediate response to Biogenic’s commitment to plant 1000 mangrove seedings, Hon. Mayor Amboy himself sponsored an additional 1000 seedlings to be planted in the surrounding fish ponds, having deliberated after talks with FEED and the Hagonoy Fish Farmer Producer’s Cooperative, the possibility to initiate new ordinances requiring all private fish ponds to protect their manmade or natural dikes by means of planting mangroves along their own perimeters.

Thank you Biogenic and Rakso CT for planting for the second time with FEED, and for again displaying your strength, resilience and commitment to preserving our Philippine environment for all!

Photo Journey

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Contact FEED

FEED runs a number of Students and Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE); Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – such as mangrove planting for coastal protection or ridge reforestation plantings; One Child, One Tree; Bio-Intensive Gardens (BIG) for nutrition in public elementary schools and other spaces; Climate Change Survival 101 and other LIVING LEGACY programs – customised environmental engagement activities for individuals and organisations interested in contributing to climate change adaptation efforts and greening critical areas such as watersheds, ridges, and reefs that all require rehabilitation.

Tree-Planting with FEED: Video

Check out the video journey by Clueless Commuter who planted with us last 24th of June 2017 to get a good idea of how FEED plantings go: https://youtu.be/KROn4rjVqBg

Contact us at FEED for more details, to join our regular activities or to design your own CSR Program: info@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.