On Siargao, mangroves are more than scenery. They shelter young fish, hold coastlines together and help protect villages from storm surges. In Del Carmen, home to one of the largest contiguous mangrove forests in the Philippines, a 13-year partnership between the town and Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) has been built around keeping that forest standing.

A new agreement for a long partnership

MPIF, the social development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Municipality of Del Carmen to improve the Mangrove Protection and Information Center II (MPIC II). The agreement was signed during the town's 106th founding anniversary celebration and announced by the foundation on October 20.

Under the deal, MPIF is turning over ₱1,219,145.25, or about ₱1.22 million, to upgrade the facility. Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo M. Coro II, MPIF President Melody M. del Rosario and Jay Russell Lidres of JZL Builders & Enterprises signed the agreement.

The improved center is meant to become a hub for environmental education, community participation, research and knowledge sharing, giving students, residents and tourists a place to learn why mangroves matter. "It is about protecting lives, livelihoods, and the future of our communities," del Rosario said.

Thirteen years in numbers

  • 2013: MPIF and Del Carmen began working together and set up what they describe as the first and only mangrove center in Mindanao.

  • About ₱11.7 million: MPIF's estimated total support to Del Carmen since 2013, covering conservation facilities, allowances for local mangrove eco-guides and recovery assistance after Typhoon Odette.

  • 3 eco-guides: local guides who continue to receive monthly allowances from MPIF for sharing their knowledge of the forest with visitors.

  • ₱1.22 million: the new grant for upgrading MPIC II.

Why Del Carmen matters

Del Carmen's mangroves cover more than 4,000 hectares, and Mayor Coro has pointed to their recognition as part of a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance as one of the town's key environmental achievements. The forest has also become a source of income: over the years, local boatmen have turned to leading mangrove tours, part of the community-based ecotourism the town has built around conservation.

The partnership has been tested before. When Typhoon Odette struck in December 2021, Del Carmen was among the communities that received relief from the Metro Pacific group, and MPIF later folded recovery support into its work with the town.

Del Carmen is one of several coastal sites in MPIF's environmental work, which also includes mangrove centers in Alaminos, Pangasinan, and Cordova, Cebu.

What's next

With the upgrade, MPIF hopes MPIC II will reach more students, residents and visitors with lessons on mangrove conservation. In a town where the forest is both a natural shield and a livelihood, passing on that knowledge may matter as much as protecting the trees themselves.