SP LEADS MANGROVE PLANTING IN BAUANG ECO-PARK
By: Rhea Matilde Ballesteros, GPC-SP | Photo By: Jiroh Joy D. Marbella, GPC-SP | Date: November 28, 2020
Photo Caption Goes Here
The Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) in partnership with the Local Government Unit of Bauang, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Unit, Philippine National Police Bauang, Bauang Fishing Group Consumers Cooperative and other stakeholders conducted a coastal clean-up and mangrove tree planting at the Bauang Bakawan Eco-Tourism Park on November 28, 2020.
300 mangrove seedlings were planted on a 300 sq.m. area of the Bauang mangrove forest. The Bauang Bakawan, found in a 162.42-hectare area in Barangays Pudoc and Parian Oeste of Bauang, La Union, is the house of 12 mangrove species that serve as protection from natural calamities and as livelihood of communities in the area. Likewise, it is a budding eco-tourism destination in the province particularly for nature lovers.
In her message, Mayor Menchie L. De Guzman said that more than a beautiful and fulfilling experience, planting bakawan is a mission to give back what is due to mother nature. She also informed that programs and projects are already laid out to improve the area that will eventually benefit the community and to realize their dreams of an improved quality of life.
The next task, the Mayor said, is to monitor the progress of the activity. The participants committed to return to the planting site to nurture what was been planted and the mangrove forest as a whole.
SP Secretary Donato A. Rimando explained that the coastal clean-up and mangrove tree planting activities are some of the components of the strategic initiatives of the Office of the SP coined as “LegislaTour Level-up.” These activities aim to provide developmental interventions, such as the tree planting activity and coastal clean-up and periodic progress monitoring in the area as the counterpart of the office in order to become a promising Agri-Tourism site. It is also the office’s contribution to the attainment of the La Union’s vision to be the “Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025.”
