Del Carmen, Siargao’s mangroves are its protectors.
Mangroves are natural barriers against typhoons! Take for example Siargao when Typhoon Odette hit the country in December of 2021.
Siargao was among the first hit by Typhoon Odette, but damage to a community in Del Carmen, Siargao was minimized thanks to… mangroves!
4,000 hectares of coastline is lined with these natural barriers or “sentinels of the sea.” It is part of the Siargao Islands Protected Landscapes and Seascapes or SIPLAS. Eight species of seagrass, representing half of all species found in the Philippines (and Southeast Asia), and 59 species of seaweeds can be found in SIPLAS.
Barangay Bacjao on the left and Barangay Parina on the right, after Typhoon Yolanda.
In the town of Giporlos, Eastern Samar lies a “tale of two barangays.” Typhoon Yolanda brought storm surges to neighboring Barangays Bacjao and Parina. Despite being named after the local name for mangrove, Brgy. Bacjao sufferred more damage than Brgy. Parina which sufferred less. This was because only Parina had a crucial 9 hectares of mangroves to protect them.
Mangroves are not only protective natural barriers against storm surge and typhoons, they are home to many species including various kinds of fish. They are also home to our own endemic Philippine Duck, as well as mangrove or mud crabs, aka Alimango!
Next time you see a mangrove, be thankful and inquire with the local LGU if you can take a boat tour!
Super Typhoon Odette (International name “Rai”) made landfall on December 16, 2021 in Surigao del Norte Province before crossing the central Visayas and Northern Mindanao. It had maximum sustained winds of 195km/h and gustiness of 260km/h.
Odette made nine landfalls in seven provinces. Initial data as of December 20 shows that Caraga and Regions VI, VII, VIII and IV-B (MIMAROPA) were hit hardest, with communities in Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Island, Southern Leyte, Bohol and Cebu most severely affected.
Donation channels have already been put in place through BALAOD Mindanaw, an alternative law organization based in Cagayan de Oro and a partner of the Provincial Government in development initiatives:
BALAOD Mindanaw contacts & GCash info:
Nolasco Ritz Lee B. Santos III. BALAOD Mindanaw Executive Director.
Contact Number (and GCash linked number): 09209380692 (currently inactive due to reaching the wallet limit).
Alternative GCash number: Loi Cabaluna of BALAOD Mindanaw: 09561274786
Banco de Oro (BDO), Unibank:
Account Name: Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for Development in Mindanaw (BALAOD Mindanaw), Inc.
Please take the screenshot of your donation receipt to send/contact through Deaf Boholanos Society (FB page) or deafboholanossociety@gmail.com or Alfer Lopoy (FB messenger).
Donations will support ATA BUKIDNON from Negros Occidental; ATI from Antique; MAMANWA from Agusan del Norte; MANOBO from Agusan del Sur; MANOBO from Surigao del Sur; and PALAW’AN from Palawan.
You may send your donations to Lilak via the following options.
Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI):
Account Name: LILAK/PURPLE ACTION FOR INDIGENOUS WOMENS RIGHTS INC
FSL or Filipino Sign Language is the official sign language of the Philippines. This coloring sheet highlights FSL and Baybayin for Paniki, or bat!
The Filipino Deaf community has been constantly overlooked and marginalized, as hearing people have perceived deafness as a disability. Why not learn sign language like one would learn French or Spanish? Especially our very own Filipino Sign Language?
Learning a language is a great way to know about the culture of its speakers. Filipino deaf aren’t just people who are hard of hearing or cannot hear. They have their own culture and contributions!
Another way to introduce yourself to Filipino Sign Language is to download the free FSL Buddy app (iOS) or the Filipino Sign Language app (Android), developed by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Filipino Sign Language Learning Program (DLS-CSB FSLLP).
Since the Manila lockdown mid-March I spent weekends and nights reading about coronaviruses, how they work, and where they come from. I learned a few basics, from the different “members” of the coronavirus family, to how they spread inside our bodies.
If you haven’t already, but would like to help out in some way with environment conservation, here are 4 simple ways you can start.
But first, why join a group in the first place?
Joining an existing group means you will be joining people who not only think like you, but have also worked some time for the cause. You can help them out while learning from their experiences, while cleaning up a beach, planting a tree, or raising awareness through campaigns online and on the street.
You can do all this while sharing your time, energy, skills, or passion for the environment.
4 simple ways
Organizations can be intimidating at first, but like all advocacy groups, they are always in need of assistance. You don’t have to be a scientist, an environmental lawyer, or a diplomat to make an impact. (If you are, or know someone who is, that helps too.)
Here are four ways you can help an environment organization:
Attend an event.
Volunteer your skill.
Ask about current or upcoming projects.
Provide long-term support.
1. attend an event
Organizations hold different kinds of events. Trainings, seminars, fundraisers, clean-ups, plantings, birdwatching… and more. Inquire with your local NGO or non-profit on what kinds of events they hold, or will hold. And then ask to attend the event.
Some events might have fees, others may not. Either way, your donation and/or presence helps the organization.
If certain training events or seminars are catered to a specific audience (like local stakeholders, or government officials), offer your help in setting up, or in documentation (photo, video, or minute-taking). This is also an easy way to get to know an organization, its staff, and/or its members.
Tip: Introduce yourself to staff and members at events and simply ask the question, “how can I help?” Purchase merchandise or food at these events that are offered by the organization. This gives you a chance to chat with organizers and get to know more people, while you support them with donations.
2. Volunteer your skill
Offering something you already do, or are studying, is a good place to start.
Students
If you are a student, volunteer for your school’s environmental organization. Now is a good time to start your life-long dedication for the environment by establishing friendships with like-minded youth, and meeting environmental experts in your school. Apply what you learn in the classroom by exercising them as a volunteer. Student-led organizations are easier to join because one of their goals is usually to cultivate the budding skills of fellow students.
Tip: Don’t have an environmental organization in your school? Find a group of like-minded students and start a small meet-up of nature-lovers. Organize simple activities like nature walks, film-screenings, clean-ups, and more. If sustained, consider making it into an official student organization and leave a legacy at your school.
Professionals
If you are a young or veteran professional, it is never too late to start. You already know what people are willing to pay you to do. Now apply it with an environmental organization you’ve always wanted to support.
Send an email (or attend an event as noted above), and indicate that you would like to offer your services for free or “pro-bono”. You already know how much time it takes you to do what you do best, and simply allot some time (perhaps over the weekends, or a few hours in the evening or morning) to dedicate it to the environment.
Even better, schedule a meeting with the Human Resources or Recruitment department of the organization to get a better idea of how you can apply your skill with the organization. Remember: it is up to you how much time you can devote. Because you are giving it for free, it is up to you to decide when and for how long you’d like to offer your skill.
Tip: Smaller organizations might not have the staff specialized in entertaining inquiries. Assure them that you want to help because you appreciate what they do, and do your best and take initiative to make their jobs easier. And whenever possible, don’t get in their way! Have a CV ready with a cover letter indicating your intent to help and why. This will help staff feel more comfortable working with you.
3. Ask about current or upcoming projects
Every organization is different. Some focus on marine life, others on waste management. Some projects are seasonal, like tree plantings in the Philippines where survival rates are higher during the rainy season.
Regardless of the focus, inquire about an organization’s projects and when they will occur. This way you can identify and schedule your assistance.
4. Provide long-term support on an annual or monthly basis.
If the organization accepts members, become a member. And almost all organizations accept recurring donations.
Instead of buying coffee every Tuesday morning, dedicate that money to an organization and give it on a monthly basis. If the organization does not have a credit card system or online payment portal, send a check every month. Or put a small amount of money aside in an envelope, a jar, or savings account every month, and then donate the entire amount to the organization at the end of the year.
If you’ve already taken steps 1 to 3 above, you can already identify how you can help in the long term. You can write an article every 6 months. Help with their social media accounts every Christmas. Volunteer for the organization’s annual General Assembly or clean-up drive. Make an annual family tree-planting a long tradition. How many forests can your family plant in a generation?
Providing longer-term assistance shows staff that there are people in the world who believe in their cause. But most importantly, it strengthens your relationship with the organization and what they do.
This simply means you can now be truly “invested” in supporting our environment in the long-term. And who knows, maybe you’ll adjust your career a bit and work for an organization full or part time.
Time to act
By no means are you limited to these four actions. I’m sure you’ve seen similar suggestions in many lists already! The question is, why haven’t you started?
The sky’s the limit on how you can help, so there is no reason why you cannot start now. Don’t think you have the time? If you’ve read this far and already see the problems and issues that our planet is facing, I guess a 5th way to help is to acknowledge that you can make time to help.
To start, here is a short list of different local and international organizations you can help.
