Filipino environmental defender calls for more coastal greenbelts

Mangrove trees, with their complex root system, are guardians of the coast, protecting it from soil erosion. — Filepic/The Star

SIARGAO Island in the Philippine Sea became known to the world for its surfing sites but in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Odette (also known as Typhoon Rai), another feature of the island is getting attention: its mangroves, which have been credited with helping protect adjacent communities from the severest impact of the storm in December 2021.

According to reports from those who survived the destruction that Odette brought to the Visayas and Mindanao regions several days before Christmas, Siargao’s mangrove forests protected residents from a storm surge headed toward Del Carmen, one of the nine municipalities on the island.