The ECAN Board in Aborlan town joined the community members in the planting of 10,000 propagules of mangrove at Sitio Tagbarungis, Barangay Ramon Magsaysay.
The said mangrove planting on June 24 was the highlight of the town’s 1st Arbor Day celebration, an activity in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees.
ECAN Board serves as “mini-PCSD” at the municipal level. It is a multi-sectoral, coordinative and advisory body to the Local Government Unit (LGU), purposely formed to assist in the realization of the R.A. 7611 or the Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan Act.
Mangroves serve as valuable nursery areas for marine organisms, as well as natural buffers to storm surge.
The mangrove forest of the province increased from 3.5% (50,602 hectares) in 1992 to 4.4% (63,532 hectares) in 2010, at an approximate rate of 700 hectares/year, according to the Palawan State of the Environment 2015 published by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD).
Out of the total 28 true mangrove species (under 19 families) recorded in the Philippines, 23 mangrove species that belong to 11 families have been recorded in Palawan, the report added.
The activity, initiated by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources (MENRO), drew 231 participants coming from the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Aborlan, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Western Philippines University (WPU), and the Barangay Council of Magsaysay.
Aborlan is a first class municipality, 69 kilometers south of Puerto Princesa City.