A two-day capacity-building program on mangrove identification, assessment, and monitoring concluded successfully at Bauang, La Union. The training aimed to enhance the knowledge of participants on the environmental services and other benefits provided by mangroves; familiarize the participants with the different mangrove species for them to recognize and apply the basic tools or techniques in mangrove habitat assessment; and strengthen local environmental governance.
The first day featured lectures on the mangrove ecosystem, its significance, and management, presented by representatives from Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region I. On the second day, participants were divided into two groups and traveled to Bauang Mangrove Eco-Park for field demonstrations and mangrove assessment. The hands-on experience allowed them to apply the lessons during the lectures. The event concluded with a presentation of their data, evaluations of the results, and planning conducted by Mr. Celso Jucutan of DMMMSU.
After a two-day training on mangrove identification, assessment, and monitoring for the community stakeholders, Edwin Wayas from the Taboc Fisherfolk Association shared, โ๐ด๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ก๐๐. ๐ท๐๐ฆ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ผ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐บ๐๐๐ข ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐ข ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐. ๐ผ๐ ๐ข ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐ต๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ 99% ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ 36 ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐ด๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐; ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐, ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐. ๐ท๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐, ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ (What exactly is the impact of mangroves on the environment and the people? That is my concern. In our area, the number of crabs caught has increased. There are crabs because there are mangroves where they can live. That is what I answered to the fisherfolk, but I was not sure then if it was just a lucky guess because today we learned in Bauang, they also noticed an increase in the number of crabs they could catch. It seems that my answer is 99% correct. Through this training, I learned that there 36 species of mangroves (in the Philippines). We are grateful that our knowledge has been expanded, and we are thankful for the continuous learning and help. This way, we learn the best practices for our coastal areas and improve the lives of the people. That is our goal: a beautiful environment and improved quality of life for the people, even if it is just a small percentage, gradually increasing, so that the lives of our fellow fisherfolk will also improve.)
The importance of mangroves in the coastal communities of La Union goes beyond their ecological benefits. For the local fisherfolk, these trees serve as a lifeline, ensuring both environmental protection and economic sustenance. For Edwin and his fellow fisherfolk, his concern in the coastal areas underscores a broader awareness of the connection of their livelihood to mangroves. He was right; mangroves serve as habitats and breeding grounds for marine life, on which their livelihood depends on.
Other participants also expressed their gratitude for the insights and new experiences gained in this training which can be used in the conservation and protection of mangrove ecosystems in their respective communities.
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The Capacity-Building for the Community Stakeholders on Mangrove Identification, Assessment and Monitoring is one of the activities of the "๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐น๐๐ถ-๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฒ, ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ" implemented by the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation under the INSPIRE Project.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐
Investing in Sustainability and Partnership for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) is a five-year grant facility of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to improve natural resource resilience and security through the increased participation and engagement of civil society organizations (CSOs), media, academe, and local communities. It envisions to expand civil society participation and influence in natural resource governance for greater accountability and better results and complementation of local conservation and climate change mitigation actions. The Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF) is the lead implementing partner for INSPIRE.
