Mangroves and typhoons

| Filipeanut
Del Carmen, Siargao's mangroves are its protectors.
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.
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.

Read more about this “tale of two barangays” on Inquirer.net.

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!