All Photos Courtesy: Erwin Claver
13 October 2018, Tibaguin, Bulacan. It was in early August 2017, when One Child, One Tree Founder (also FEED Ambassador) Natalia “Nats” Sali asked FEED to open talks with global legal firm White & Case Philippines office to explore a possible tree-planting activity as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) philanthropy activities for their staff.
21 of the 65 staffed White & Case Philippine office worked with FEED’s LIVING LEGACY staunch local partner and Bantay Dagat (“water guardians”), the Hagonoy Fish Farmers Producers Cooperative led by Vic Cruz.
A total of 650 native Philippine mangrove (“bakawan lalake”) species were planted in Tibaguin, Bulacan as a part of Bulacan Province’s ambitions to build the “Great Wall of Mangroves” announced by Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad last May 2017. Propagules were provided and transported from their nursery by the Hagonoy Fish Farmers Cooperative, who are tasked with also maintaining and monitoring the thousands of mangrove seedlings and sites planted; also since they are out in the field daily either at commercial fish farms or in open sea.
Part of White & Case’s advocacy was to also donate goods in kind to a local community in need of support, specifically, the children identified from (the Barangay/Village of) Tibaguin Elementary School, in Hagonoy – some of which are the children of the Bantay Dagat as identified by locals from Bulacan, Natalia Sali and family.
White & Case conducted additional fun painting activities with the kids, focused on marine creatures, as well as storytelling about their paintings made – adding environmental value to the kids receiving their goodie bags.
The local Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) based in Hagonoy graciously provided the participants with the DENR trash boat, enabling all to get to the planting site safely.
Last May 2017, FEED also published an article on “Tibaguin Residents Rise with the Tides of Climate Change as Part of their Daily Routine” as Tibaguin, being a coastal community, is the first hit during the rainy (Habagat) season with persistent typhoons and floods during at least half of the year.
These CSR activities organised by FEED are only a part of several converging efforts from public, private, non-profit and government organisations for the Province of Bulacan geared towards raising more awareness on coastal and environmental protection, preservation and maintenance of the last remaining natural resources in a province that was once predominantly rice farms; and which, in the span of 20 years, gradually converted into a thriving fishing community and commercial fish pond operator.
One of FEED’s first interventions here was the “40,000 Mangrove Trees Planted in Bulacan to Restore a Critical Carbon Sink, Flood Protection System & Livelihood Source“, planted last March 2017. The event was led by the local DENR office and Mayor a vivid and strong preliminary intervention that demonstrated 111 volunteers from all walks of life who wanted to get involved and improve coastal and flood protection mechanisms.
Thank you White & Case Philippine Eco-Warriors!
This mangrove rehabilitation & restoration project was led by Hagonoy Mayor Raulito (“Amboy”) Manlapaz, Jr. with technical support from the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR), facilitation by the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR)‘s Municipal Environment & Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) Stephen Palayaw, and the 111 volunteers from the “Bantay Dagat” (Tag., Sea Guards) and “Bantay Bayan” (Tag., City Guards), Hagonoy Fish Farmers Producers Cooperative led by Vic Cruz, and Local Government Units.
For Hagonoy, the primary sources of income of (75% of) the coastal residents is capture “fishing”, “fish processing”, “fish vending”, “fish culture” and “fish working”.
Photo Journal of White & Case CSR Activity, 13 Oct 2018
About White & Case
White & Case is an international law firm that serves companies, governments and financial institutions. Our long history as a global firm means we are uniquely placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they are.
More info here: https://www.whitecase.com/
Crowdfunding halfway for first floating homes in Hagonoy, Philippines
22 Sep 2017. Interestingly, on a separate but related note: “Finch Floating Homes is halfway in crowdfunding its first prototype floating home in the city of Hagonoy, in the Philippines.
Based on research in the Philippines, the Dutch foundation developed a barrel-floating construction with on top a special designed home for a common Filipino family.
So far, the crowdfunding campaign has raised 13.400 euro of the 25.000 euro that is needed to build the first prototype.
Poor housing situation
In the overpopulated river deltas of the Philippines, people live in areas that experience daily flooding.The floods are caused by a combination of tides, heavy rainfall and land subsidence. Climate change, population growth and the low quality of the current housing are worsening the situation.
The demand for safe and affordable housing is immense, yet available dry land is scarce.
To address these specific circumstances, the Dutch foundation Finch floating homes took the initiative to introduce the concept of floatable homes that is so well-known in the Netherlands…
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.
© Fostering Education & Environment for Development, Inc. (FEED)