MPIF, Alaminos Launch Mangrove Rehabilitation Project with Local Fisherfolk

METRO Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF), the social development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., partnered with the Alaminos City government to restore a storm-damaged portion of the 8.17-hectare Bued Mangrove Eco-Park. MPIF President Melody M. del Rosario and Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan C. Celeste formalized the partnership under a memorandum of agreement (MoA), launching Project RESHORE (Resilient Ecosystem and Sustainable Habitats through Organized Restoration and Employment). The P1-million cash-for-work initiative, recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, will engage 30 qualified small-scale fisherfolk and residents to restore a 2.19-hectare portion of the Bued Mangrove Park, severely damaged by Typhoon Emong in 2025. “The communities will give life to the commitments outlined in the MoA. The real work starts after the signing, when everything falls into place, and we begin putting these plans into action,” Ms. del Rosario said in a media release on Thursday. The project’s activities will focus on clearing degraded and dead mangroves, removing marine debris and waste, and strategically planting new mangrove propagules to support the recovery of the damaged area. MPIF and Alaminos City turned over tools, equipment and safety gear at the launch. Volunteers, who will work up to five hours a day, also participated in a capacity-building and training session last Aug. 26, in preparation. Project RESHORE, implemented under MPIF’s Gabay Kabuhayan Pillar, will run from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1. — CAT