NAIMBAG NGA ALDAW
Siklo Ti Biag
Siklo Ti Biag (Circle of Life) is a part of The Mangrove Website Project, an academic research-based student initiative in the Philippines. It is a collaborative endeavor between the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (DSA) of the Ateneo de Manila University, the Institute of Social Order (ISO), and the community of San Fernando City, La Union steered towards promoting mangrove conservation awareness and education, community-based environmental conservation, and working at the grassroots in pursuit of defending and rehabilitating mangroves in the country.
Photography by Chris Yang, Unsplash
Nagragsak nga isasangbay yo ditoy
San Fernando, La Union
Naimbag nga aldaw!
About
This website project is an information and education campaign tackling the extensive and relevant subject of mangrove conservation that permeates global and local contexts alike. Siklo Ti Biag draws content from academic literature, organizations, and on-the-ground encounters with the locals of San Fernando. A Nexus approach frames this project, which involves the interplay between different stakeholders and their respective perceptions of and aspirations for the future of mangrove conservation. In the spirit of the Nexus, we actively engaged the various stakeholders in San Fernando to dialogue about environmental protection and management in their area.
The La Union group consists of AB Sociology students from Ateneo de Manila: Noelle Anne S. Cubacub, Kaila Mariz A. David, Daniel I. Encarnacion, Karen Claire C. Garcia, Nina An Kayla D. Resurreccion, and Adrianna Kyla M. Sevilla.
ADVOCACY
What we are for
Explore our work towards environmental justice.
We dedicate Siklo Ti Biag to our partners and the local community of San Fernando in light of their efforts towards mangrove conservation and vision for a more sustainable and inclusive future of resource management in their city. Similarly, Siklo Ti Biag is in service of the Filipino community by upholding environmental justice and stewardship in this age of environmental crises caused by an incessant and regretless anthropocentric view of the world. Siklo Ti Biag reminds us of how we have been overshooting the carrying capacity and boundary of the only planet we can call home.
First photo by
Matt Howard, Unsplash
Second photo by
Chad Madden, Unsplash
The Anthem
Mangrove and environmental conservation. As a research project committed to raising awareness about the importance of mangroves and doing mangrove conservation, we support and stand by the global and local call to protect mangroves and other environmental ecosystems.
Community-based participatory research. We work with the local community of San Fernando, in collaboration with multiple stakeholders such as the Poro Sea Lovers’ Association (PSLA) and the San Fernando City Local Government in encouraging participatory stakeholder engagement and community-based environmental conservation and management.
Environmental conservation awareness through education. We encourage raising environmental conservation awareness at a community level through education. For instance, by interacting and collaborating with the different stakeholders in San Fernando, we participated in their endeavor to raise awareness about mangrove and wildlife conservation and protection through education and information dissemination in their local context.
Environmental interconnectedness. We envision to raise environmental conservation awareness and education through re-establishing the importance and role of mangroves in the marine environment. We promote the interconnections between mangrove ecosystems, other marine and coastal ecosystems, and animal life in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, which is beneficial to coastal communities in the form of capital, livelihood opportunities, and coastal protection.
Meet Groovy and Pawi
Groovy the Mangrove and Pawi the Pawikan are the best of friends! They live in San Fernando, La Union.
Join Groovy and Pawi as they teach us about the effects of climate change on mangroves, the role of community-based coastal resources management (CB-CRM) in coastal communities, and the importance of doing mangrove conservation in saving the marine environment at large.
Groovy
There are around 84 hectares of mangrove area in San Fernando and the community members are working together to protect this ecosystem from environmental threats such as pollution and rapid urbanization.1
Pawi
Different species of pawikan (sea turtle) have been sighted in San Fernando, particularly in Barangay Dalumpinas Oeste. While the community is already pursuing the protection of the pawikan by saving their eggs and monitoring pawikan egg hatcheries, efforts to nurse the welfare of the pawikan must be strengthened.
Get to know Pawi and Groovy!
Click the button below to read about the story of Groovy and Pawi as they take us with them to their home in the marine and coastal environments of San Fernando! Kadwaen tayo ni Pawi ken ni Groovy!
Mangrove Conservation & Climate Change
Our cause starts with the world’s encounter with mangroves.
Key words
Mangroves
Global Context
Climate change
Global Warming
License & attribution
Vectors and Photographs
What are mangroves? How can we conserve mangroves? What is the relationship between mangrove conservation and climate change? These are the questions we shall be exploring in our Lakbay Kalikasan with Pawi, the Pawikan.
In days gone by, environmental degradation periled the globe, manifesting itself in various ways, including habitat destruction, plastic pollution, species extinction, and natural resource depletion. Even though it has become a common problem, it receives far less attention than it deserves to be successfully addressed. We now face a defining moment in time when anthropogenic acts determine environmental issues (Shrinkhal 2019). The illusion of mainstream economics plagues the world, with humans seeing themselves justifying the unprecedented collapse of the environment with mindless consumerist reasons. It would seem the Pacific Garbage Patch (Evers & Sue 2019) is insufficient to spur a global thrust to establish a non-negotiable policy towards environmental recovery and sustainability. All told, what would it take for the world to admit that the ecosystem is on the verge of extinction?
How, then, do we begin to save the environment? Let’s listen to what Pawi has to say!
Global Mangrove Species Distribution Map (Smithsonian, n.d., as quoted in Deltares 2014)
Mangrove Conservation in the Philippines
What is the status of mangrove conservation in the Philippines?
Let’s zoom in on the current state of resources and mangrove biodiversity in the country and familiarize ourselves with existing local-based efforts relevant to mangrove conservation.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
On the ground.
Now that we know about mangroves and their fundamental environmental importance, we, then, ask: how can we involve the local community in the process of doing and conversing about mangrove conservation?
Maybe Groovy can help us! Let’s join Groovy, the Mangrove, in her Lakbay Kalikasan.
What else about mangroves?
The decline in and degradation of mangroves have been inflicting threats in several dimensions: from the environmental, sociocultural, political, to economic spheres. It becomes crucial, more than ever, to establish the conservation benefits and importance of these plant species and, hopefully, develop a commitment in local and global contexts towards their protection.
Not so fast!
Let’s take a short quiz and see what we’ve learned so far!
References
Aguirre, Jun N. 2020. “A Philippine Community Sees Life-Saving Payoffs from Restoring Its Mangroves.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://news.mongabay.com/2020/11/a-philippine-community-sees-life-saving-payoffs-from-restoring-its-mangroves/).
Cabal, Reniel B., Porfirio M. Alino, Adrian Chester M. Balingit, Christian M. Alis, Hazel O. Arceo, Cleto L. Nanola Jr., Rollan C. Geronimo, and MSN Partners. 2014. “The Philippine Marine Protected Area (MPA) Database.” Philippine Science Letters 7(2):300-308.
Castro, Kayla Marie I. and Samantha Mae M. Poblete. 2020. Mangroves 101: A Guide to Mangroves in Siruma, Camarines Sur. Institute of Social Order, Quezon City, Philippines.
Conservation International. N.d. “Mangroves.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.conservation.org/priorities/mangroves).
Denchak, Melissa. 2019. “Greenhouse Effect 101.” Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.nrdc.org/stories/greenhouse-effect-101).
Evers, Jeannie and Caryl Sue. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic. Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/).
Friess, D.A., B.S. Thompson, B. Brown, A. Aldrie Amir, C. Cameron, H.J. Koldewey, S.D. Sasmito, and F. Sidik. 2016. “Policy Challenges and Approaches for the Conservation of Mangrove Forests in Southeast Asia.” Conservation Biology 30(5): 933-949. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12784
Garcia, Kristine, Dixon Gevaña, and Pastor Malabrigo. 2013. “Philippines’ Mangrove Ecosystem: Status, Threats, and Conservation.” Pp. 81-94 in Mangrove Ecosystems of Asia Status, Challenges, and Management Strategies. Edited by F.-H. I. Faridah-Hanum, A. Latiff, K.R. Hakeem, and M. Ozturk. New York, NY: Springer.
Global Mangrove Alliance. N.d. “Save Our Mangroves Now!” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.mangrovealliance.org/save-our-mangroves-now/).
Harris, Alasdair. 2020. “Blue Forests: Protecting Mangroves with Coastal Communities.” One Earth. Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.oneearth.org/blue-forests-protecting-mangroves-with-coastal-communities/).
International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2010. “Mangrove Forests in Worldwide Decline.Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.iucn.org/content/mangrove-forests-worldwide-decline).
International Union for Conservation of Nature. N.d. “Issues Briefs: Blue Carbon.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/blue-carbon).
International Union for Conservation of Nature. N.d. “Mangroves and Coastal Ecosystems.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.iucn.org/theme/marine-and-polar/our-work/climate-change-and-ocean/mangroves-and-coastal-ecosystems).
Juinio-Meñez. “Myths And Realities of Participation In Philippine CBCRM: Lessons From An Analysis ofWho Participates In What.” Paper presented to the State of the Field of CBNRM Program in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Social Action for Research and Development Foundation, Inc.
Kandasamy, Kathiresan and Brian Lynn Bingham. 2001. “Biology of Mangroves and Mangrove Ecosystems.” Advances in Marine Biology 40:81-251. doi:10.1016/S0065-2881(01)40003-4.
Mangrove Action Project. N.d. “Mangrove Action Project.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://mangroveactionproject.org/about-us/).
Nanlohya, Hellen, Azis Nur, Bambangb Ambariyantob, and Sahala Hutabaratb. “Coastal Communities Knowledge Level on Climate Change as a Consideration in Mangrove Ecosystems Management in the Kotania Bay, West Seram Regency.” Procedia Environmental Sciences 23:157-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2015.01.024.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. N.d. “The Effects of Climate Change.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/).
National Geographic. N.d. “The Mangrove Ecosystem.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/the-mangrove-ecosystem/).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. N.d. “Climate Change Impacts.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts).
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Racelis, Mary. 2015. “Kahit Dukha’y, Dakila! Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Poverty and Well-being.” Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ateneo de Manila University.
Saurabh, Dani. 2017. “Why Mangroves Matter for the Resilience of Coastal Communities.” World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/why-mangroves-matter-resilience-coastal-communities
Shrinkhal, Rashwet. 2019. “Economics, Technology, and Environmental Protection: A Critical Analysis of Phytomanagement.” Pp. 569-580 in Phytomanagement of Polluted Sites. Edited by V.C. Pandey and K. Bauddh. Elsevier.
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Viray-Mendoza. 2017. “Mangrove Forests in the Philippines.” Retrieved July 13, 2021 (https://maritimereview.ph/mangrove-forests-in-the-philippines/).
Ward, Raymound D., Richard H. Day, Daniel A. Friess, and Richard Mackenzie. 2016. “Impacts of Climate Change on Mangrove Ecosystems: A Region by Region overview.” Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 2(4). doi:10.1002/ehs2.1211.
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Notes
[1] Reported by the representative from CENRO during the FGD
ISO Workshop 2021: Coastal Resource Management and Advocacy Workshop and Introduction and ISO’s STAGE Program, used in the “Community-Based Coastal Resource Management” video
Drop us, Pawi, and Groovy a line! 🐢
A collaborative project of the Ateneo de Manila AB Sociology students, Ateneo Socio-Cultural Fieldschool, Institute of Social Order (ISO), and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology-Anthropological and Sociological Initiatives of the Ateneo (DSAASIA)
Institute of Social Order 