TACLOBAN CITY- About 40,000 mangrove propagules were planted along the shores of this city, battered by super typhoon Yolanda more than seven months ago.
The planting of mangroves, which started on the first week of June, will help protect the city from effects of any possible storm surge as these will serve as a “barrier” and “break” the water from the sea, said city environment and natural resource officer (CENRO) Jonathan Hijada.
The mangroves were planted along the coasts of barangays Burayan, in San Jose District up to Anibong, Cabalawan, Naga-Naga, Diit, Tigbao, Bagacay and Cabalawan.
Hijada said that during the onslaught of Yolanda, of the 70,000 mangroves of the city, 60,000 of them were destroyed or damaged.
“We have to replant mangroves destroyed or damaged during the onslaught of Yolanda. Aside from being a breeding ground, the mangroves serves as a natural barrier of wave breaker during a typhoon,” Hijada said.
The planting of mangroves along these areas started on June 4, which is in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development under its sustainable livelihood office and the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF) and Smart, Philippines.
The DSWD will provide salaries to the 238 individuals who will plant the mangroves at P260 for the next 15 days.
The PDRF and Smart Philippines gives personal protective gears to the workers like “buri” hats, long sleeves shirts, protective gloves and rubber boots.
Georgina Hernandez, DSWD director of sustainable livelihood office, said that the mangrove planting in Tacloban is just part of the overall 260 has mangrove covers in Sogod, Southern Leyte; Guiuan and Hernani in Eastern Samar; Lapinig, Palapag in Northern Samar; Basey in Samar and Carigara in Leyte.
For this cash for work program of the DSWD, the said agency will employ 2,554 persons with an earmarked budget of P2.6 million.
