BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi — The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (MENRE) office here in this province has provided technical assistance to Mindanao State University – Tawi-Tawi thru a mangrove tree planting program, held at Kubang Mandulan, Bongao, in this province
Kubang Mandulan Mangrove Ecosystem was the site of the tree planting activity identified by MENRE Tawi-Tawi for the yearly MSU tree planting program participated by its graduating students as requirement for graduation.
Some 1,000 healthy mangrove trees were planted by MSU students in partnership with MENRE Tawi-Tawi in the identified area of MENRE Tawi-Tawi’s Mangrove Rehabilitation and Development Project.
Provincial Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (PENRE) Officer Jonel Mohammad Monel said that mangrove forests play an important role for maintaining the coastal ecosystem and provide a variety of environmental support
Monel further said that mangroves also act as ‘bio-shield’, safeguarding the people living near the coasts of Tawi-Tawi.
Meanwhile, acting on the instruction of the PENRE officer, CENRE Officers Saido Espiliro and Abdulmukim Maruji reechoed the same to the participants and personally gave technical assistance using their expertise to the tree planters
Kubang Mandulan Mangrove Ecosystem is one of the target sites of the Bangsamoro Government and MENRE’s Integrated Bangsamoro Greening Program (IBGP) implementation in the province.
The IBGP aims to grow 171.2 million trees covering about 159,000 hectares in BARMM forestlands, and has already begun its course in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur since 2020, which is now being implemented in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Last August 14, MENRE Tawi-Tawi distributed 450 mahogany seedlings to Hji Kong Kirong of Sallangan and local farmers in Pasiagan Daleya, in this province.
This is in addition to the 195 mahogany seedlings that were initially distributed to the same recipient.
JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL
PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TODAY 