Manila’s last mangrove trees

April 19, 2025

Mangroves don’t get as much attention as white beaches do, but they do offer us a bit more than we think.

Similar to coral reefs, mangroves serve as “nurseries” to certain species of fish, crabs, and shellfish that people eat. Studies have found that as mangroves are removed, fish catch can decline too.

As our typhoons get bigger, we learn more about how mangroves help people. When Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan hit Eastern Samar in 2013, it was found that communities living near mangroves suffered less damage than those who didn’t. Mangroves have long been known as effective barriers against storm surges, in some cases reducing wave heights by 45% to 100%.

Typhoon with and without mangroves - Brgy Bacjao and Parina after Yolanda, Giporlos, Eastern Samar.jpg — 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 also “metal”! Lead and cadium have been found in fish in Manila Bay which can be harmful to us when we eat them. Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park or LPPWP holds one of the last mangrove forests in Manila Bay, whose roots have been absorbing both metals. In doing so the mangroves help reduce the amount of harmful metals in the surrounding environment.

Around 114 hectares of mudflats are inside the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park or LPPWP, which provides food for birds like this little egret (*Egretta garzetta*).

The Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park or LPPWP is a green oasis and protected area by law, hidden from view in Manila Bay. Its mudflats of fish and shellfish feed up to 5,000 birds a day. Its mangroves provide shelter for migratory birds, and our very own duck species found only in the Philippines – the Philippine duck. Throughout the years people have visited LPPWP for birdwatching, coastal clean-ups, and other wildlife recreation activities. Just part of a long list of “ecosystem services” mentioned earlier – free things from nature without us having to think about it, and without being charged a single fee.

Students birdwatching at Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park or LPPWP. Up to 80 different bird species can be found in this unique park in Manila Bay, providing an outdoor classroom for thousands of students over the years. In the distance are buildings on previously reclaimed areas.

Coastal clean-up volunteers at Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park or LPPWP — Coastal clean-up volunteers find shade under talisay trees at Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park or LPPWP. Clean-ups like these remind people that waste management in Metro Manila must be improved at all levels. It is difficult to see our effects while at home, and LPPWP gives us an opportunity to see the bigger picture.

Unfortunately due to its prime location LPPWP has long been under threat by reclamation authorities. Just north of the protected area sits previous reclaimed sites where the casinos of Okada and Solaire can be found, as well as the largest mall in the Philippines, SM Mall of Asia. In 2011 plans to reclaim water in front of the sanctuary brought media attention to the protected area. Said plans threatened LPPWP despite not requiring overlap on its boundaries because blockage of that much seawater could eventually dry out the area.

Map of Manila Bay reclamation via GMA News — The map above shows planned reclamation projects in Manila Bay. You can see the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park in light green in the lower right corner, with two planned reclamation sites in orange. If LPPWP drys out because of said reclamation, investors can simply come in and pave the rest.

Though plans were stalled, the group overseeing Manila Bay reclamation continues to move forward in trying to pave around or even over LPPWP. The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) has recently been posting on its Facebook page hints at moving forward with its original plans. It published a video earlier this week claiming subtly that it is possible to move mangroves to a new area, a clue at what it is open to do to LPPWP.

Unfortunately it is impossible to move mangroves without damaging the already-existing ecosystems in place. And to regenerate such a sanctuary would not only be expensive and time consuming, but also almost just as impossible. Successful mangrove restoration is difficult, with failure rates up to 80% due to lack of proper planning, funding, community input and involvement, and many other factors.

It made another post claiming that environmentalists have been derailed by private interests, and that “designation of this site as bird sanctuary” poses a risk for bird strikes in the nearby Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The “environmentalists” who have long been concerned with the PRA’s moves to bypass protected area proclamation are composed of a diverse set of organizations and communities. Groups I have come to know such as the Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines or YACAP and Advocates of Science and Technology for the People or AGHAM, as well as others from different parts of the Philippines who have voiced their concerns backed by science.

Metro Manila green spaces 1989, 1999, 2014 - from ANM Nor 2017, with LPPWP — The loss of green spaces over time – 1989, 1999, and 2014. By 2014, urbanized “built up” areas almost doubled the amount in 1989. Graphic based from maps in a study on urban expansion in Southeast Asia by Amal Najihah M. Nor et al in 2017.

In regards to bird strikes, the expert consensus is that “There is no airport free from threats due to the presence of birds. All birds occurring near the runways and on the approaches to the airport can constitute a threat to flight safety.” Bird strikes are a definite concern, but the best action to reduce the risk of such events is to conduct the necessary research about birds in and around the airport and their movements over the course of time. In fact, one of the factors of increased bird strikes is the destruction of already-existing habitats in other areas. Destroying even more green areas might not reduce strikes at all if no targeted and purposeful studies on Manila airport birds are made.

As they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And with Manila Bay as polluted as it is, breaking it any further without proper study and review will make it even worse for us all.