MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Oct. 26 (PIA) -- The Enhancing Food Security in the Visayas (EFOS)- mangrove tree planting project based in Barangay Hingatunggan, Silago has already planted 19,000 mangrove trees under contract with the Southern Leyte mangrove greenbelt project (SLMGP), as of press time.
The said SLMGP contract covers for the people’s organization based in Hingatunggan to plant 26,000 mangrove trees at the Hingatunggan Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Silago, Southern Leyte, Brgy. Hingatunggan Kagawad Leonila Apdo disclosed to PIA –Southern Leyte in an interview Saturday.
Apdo said the 78 families, who are the proponents of the SLMGP – Silago, were each tasked to plant 300 mangrove trees each.
She said the group is responsible to look after the mangrove trees planted to be alive, otherwise, every mortality of mangrove tree planted shall be replaced immediately.
Meanwhile, the remaining number of the mangroves trees to be planted is 2,000 lesser last Saturday as some 300 youth leaders led by Fr. Hope Lambonao and Congressman Roger Mercado planted in Hingatunggan MPA.
Earlier, Coastal Fisheries Resource Unit Head, Eva Abad, of the provincial government that GIZ organization poured P1.3 million to fund the project that includes money for the poor households that would be directly involved with the project, communities concerned would also be empowered by their awareness in the importance of the mangrove environment.
Abad said the anticipated output was even more challenging for a higher purpose, that is, to improve fish activity, achieve food security, protect vulnerable communities against the ill effects of climate change, and promote biodiversity conservation in mangrove forests with an estimated 90,000 live trees growing, and at least 24 hectares of expansion.
Covered in the mangrove greenbelt project were Maasin City, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Bontoc, Sogod, San Francisco, Saint Bernard, and Silago, she said
