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DEL CARMEN, Surigao del Norte (MindaNews / 1 June) — The intervention of the local government of Del Carmen, in partnership with SIKAT and other various organizations and the private sector, in addressing mangrove cutting and illegal fishing was formalized through the “Siargao It Up! The Del Carmen Mangrove Management” program.

Officially launched in 2013, Siargao It Up was designed as a social tourism program with the aim to transform mangrove cutters and illegal fishers into fisherfolk and boat guides, thus preserving the mangrove forest and coastal resources while maximizing the island’s ecotourism potential.

As part of the Siargao It Up initiative, the municipal tourism office developed Mangrove Tours, an ecotourism program featuring guided boat trips through the lush mangrove forest, a stop at a scenic view deck, and visits to Sugba Lagoon and islands like Kawhagan and Pamomoan beach.

According to municipal tourism officer Lani Lipio, a people’s organization was established to formalize the participation of local boat operators in the tourism initiative.

“At first, there were only a few of them, but it slowly grew,” Lipio said.

By 2020, there were already 146 registered boat operators for the tours. By 2025, the number had more than doubled.

“Right now, we have over 300 active boat operators. But more than 500 have attended our seminars. Some are on-call since they don’t have boats of their own to maintain,” she added. 

Longos, once a mangrove cutter himself, now works as a boat operator during the day. He owns a boat and, aside from leading mangrove tours, is regularly hired by the parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Del Carmen to ferry him to island barangays for scheduled Masses.

“Even after we stopped cutting mangroves and lost the livelihood we used to depend on, God never forgot about us. We found a new way to earn. At least now, we’re earning clean money and helping protect the mangroves too,” Longos said.

Lipio said the ecotourism initiative has proven to be a sustainable source of livelihood.

“Currently, a boat operator typically earns ₱400 to ₱500 per trip, while an assistant or crew member earns around ₱300 to ₱400. Their share depends on whether they’re regular crew for a specific boat or just on-call. If there are more guests and they get double trips or tips, that’s a bonus,” Lipio said.

Based on the documents submitted by the Del Carmen LGU in their entry to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ “Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan” competition in 2020 where they were awarded as the regional winner for the Caraga Region, they reported a significant shift: whereas 91% of the community relied on mangrove cutting in 2010, all of them had abandoned the livelihood by 2018.

In 2018, Siargao It Up was honored as one of the Galing Pook Awardees, a prestigious recognition for innovative and exemplary practices by local government units across the Philippines.

Mangrove rehabilitation

While part of the initiative focused on transforming illegal cutters into fisherfolk and tour guides, another key component was the rehabilitation of the mangrove forest as large portions of which had been left barren after years of cutting.

Barquilla shared that former cutters were also employed for tree planting.

“It became part of their livelihood and a way to restore what was lost,” she said.

Longos recalled being asked to plant mangroves in areas they had once cleared.

“In exchange for what we cut down, we replanted in the same areas, places that were left empty,” he said.

Today, he proudly points to fully grown mangrove trees he planted years ago.

Planting of mangrove propagules continues to this day, largely managed by Kaanib ng mga Mangingisda at Magsasaka ng Numancia (KAMAMANA), the oldest people’s organization (PO) in Del Carmen established in 2011.

Barquilla said KAMAMANA made it a condition that if they were chosen to implement mangrove-related projects, often funded by private donors, they would be responsible for the planting and would also earn from it.

“They became the ones implementing, earning, and protecting. It just makes sense that locals are the ones to collect, plant, and maintain the mangroves. They know the place. If others planted and left, but locals had to maintain it, it wouldn’t feel right. That’s why it’s ideal that all activities from propagation to maintenance are done by the same people,” Barquilla said.

As part of their work plan, KAMAMANA also manages a nursery to ensure higher survival rates, since propagules are properly nurtured before being transplanted.

“Unlike directly planting newly collected propagules, nursing them first reduces mortality and improves success in the field,” Barquilla explained.

According to the SIPLAS Management Plan (2021–2030), mangrove forest cover expanded to 4,327.77 hectares in 2015 two years after the launch of the Siargao It Up initiative and further grew to 4,478 hectares by 2020.

Barquilla said that as of 2025, the mangrove forest now spans 4,871 hectares, which they actively maintain.

Typhoon Odette

For the people of Del Carmen, the value of mangrove protection extended far beyond livelihood and tourism.

In December 2021, when Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) tore through Siargao, it wasn’t just a storm to endure. It was a fight for survival. But thanks to the lush mangrove forest they had once cut down, and the community-led efforts to restore it, Del Carmen was spared from the worst of the storm’s wrath.

“During Odette, the waves that came into the coastal community where we live weren’t that strong, but the seawater rose. The waves were blocked. If the mangroves weren’t there, our house would’ve been swept away,” Longos said, vividly recalling the moment the typhoon made landfall.

Although the roof of his home was torn off and some walls gave way, the structure remained standing.

“I always knew mangroves were important, but that day I saw it with my own eyes. That’s when it truly hit me how vital mangroves really are,” he said.

Coro said it took them 10 years to prepare for the four-hour storm, referring to efforts that began in 2011—from listening to experts to implementing science-based strategies—which proved crucial when Super Typhoon Odette struck in 2021.

“Yes, the water came in, but the damage was minimal, mostly physical, and not the kind that destroys lives,” he said.

Jurgenne Primavera, an internationally recognized mangrove scientist and chief mangrove scientific advisor of the Zoological Society of London, explained the science behind Del Carmen’s experience.

“One of the main services of mangroves is coastal protection, and this was clearly proven when Odette battered Siargao. Healthy mangroves act as nature’s bioshields, absorbing and reducing the energy of storm surges before they reach communities,” Primavera said, noting that the trees disperse the big waves and thus lessening the impact, ultimately protecting lives and livelihoods.

Ecosystem services

Primavera, a native of Butuan City who now resides in Iloilo City, said in a phone interview that aside from storm protection, mangroves provide other vital ecosystem services.

“Mangroves serve as a carbon sink, what we call blue carbon, which is especially important in the context of climate change. The more trees we have, the more carbon dioxide we can capture,” Primavera said.

She also emphasized the biodiversity within mangrove ecosystems, highlighting their role in supporting both marine life and communities.

“What’s important to people are the fish and shellfish. If they don’t consume them, they sell them. So mangroves support local food security and income generation,” she said.

Primavera also described healthy mangroves as natural greenbelts that protect coastal communities and marine ecosystems alike.

“If you have a healthy coastal mangrove greenbelt, it provides safety and security to people. At the same time, it means a healthy ecosystem for marine fauna,” she added.

Ramsar designation

In December 2024, the mangrove forest of Del Carmen was officially designated as a Ramsar Site, an international recognition of wetlands of global importance. Ramsar refers to it as the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve (DCMR).

According to the Ramsar Information Sheet, the DCMR serves as a vital ecological corridor, connecting intertidal flats to upland forests and allowing birds to move between these habitats.

“The site is evidently biodiversity rich, hosting 158 plant species and 245 fauna species wherein 8 percent of the flora and 20 percent of the fauna are endemic to the Philippines or to the Mindanao Region where the site is situated including the vulnerable Philippine duck (Anas luzonica) and Southern rufous hornbill (Buceros mindanensis). The site also hosts three threatened species of turtles,” the website stated.

In a separate study entitled The Mangrove Flora Diversity of Del Carmen Forest on Siargao Island, Philippines by Cortez et al. (conducted by researchers from the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines Manila, De La Salle University, and the National Museum of the Philippines, and published in 2023 in a research journal), a total of 166 species were recorded belonging to 145 genera and 73 families of which 20 are “true” mangrove species, referring to plant species specialized to live in the harsh conditions of coastal and intertidal zones.

Cortez et al. noted that 20 of these species are Philippine endemics, and seven are classified as threatened based on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Primavera pointed out that the designation gives Del Carmen the potential to be a model for other areas.

“With the recognition, it encourages people to think twice and realize how important it is to protect our mangroves. It’s a reminder of the value of our natural resources,” she said.

She also highlighted several key factors that made the program successful and worthy of recognition.

“First, the approach was science-based. The government actively sought guidance from experts and aligned the municipality’s strategies with scientifically grounded practices. Second, the strategy was community-based. Former illegal mangrove cutters were not just stopped. They were integrated into the solution,” Primavera said.

Another important aspect is local governance. According to Primavera, the local government unit of Del Carmen has done a great job in managing and implementing both national and local laws.

“They really enforce them, unlike in many other places where mangrove protection laws exist but are not enforced. So I think the national government and other local governments can learn from them,” she added.

Starting point

Coro pointed out that Ramsar designation is not the finish line but only the starting point.

“Is Ramsar the end? Never. It was the beginning of how we will be able to reach out to more people to make them realize that what we have started is something beautiful, and if you copy it wherever you are, it might also end up as beautiful as what we have experienced,” Coro added.

Barquilla, who helped lead the Ramsar application, noted that the most important aspect of the designation is long-term protection.

“With the Ramsar status, there’s now more funding that supports conservation efforts. And once it’s designated, even if the mayor or I won’t be here, whoever governs next, the site remains recognized by the United Nations. The protection is strengthened,” she said.

Reformed mangrove cutter turned protector

Longos, once known as one of Del Carmen’s most persistent mangrove cutters, is now a father of four with a different story to tell.

His eldest is about to graduate from college, and he said that it was through the livelihood he received that he was able to send his children to school.

“I’m just glad I was transformed. Cutting mangroves was easy. But earning a living without breaking the law, there’s a different kind of peace in that,” he said,

Today, Longos said they may not be rich, but they live comfortably.

He earns ₱2,000 monthly as part of Bantay Dagat deputized by the local government unit, ₱9,000 as a watchman employed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and supplements his income by operating a tourism boat and fishing sometimes for food, sometimes for extra earnings.

“It took us a while to adjust because we weren’t used to this kind of work. But eventually, we did,” Longos said. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao / MindaNews)

This story is published with the support of Canal France International under the Media for One Health program.