Smart sustains efforts to rehabilitate Guimaras marine life

GUIMARAS—Eight years have passed since the M/T Solar 1 sank off the coast of Guimaras and Negros Islands causing, what is considered, the worst oil spill in the country.

The oil tanker, carrying more than 2 million liters of bunker fuel, sank during a violent storm in August 2006, and adversely affected marine sanctuaries and mangrove reserves in three out of five municipalities in the island of Guimaras.  The area was once a rich fishing ground.

Since then, the local government has stepped up efforts to conserve and protect the marine environment.

Environment advocate Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) was among the private institutions that immediately responded to the call for assistance in the long-term rehabilitation of the area, particularly in sustaining the mangrove plantation of the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve in barangays La Paz and San Roque in Nueva Valencia.  

Smart joins hands with community stakeholders in sustaining the mangrove plantation at the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve in Guimaras.

 “Smart has been proactively supporting initiatives all over the country that help protect and conserve the environment, and we are happy to be part of this effort to rehabilitate this mangrove natural reserve not only to help mitigate the impact of climate change, but also to help protect coastal communities from storm surges,” said Atty. Maria Jane C. Paredes, Smart senior manager, and head of Public Affairs for Visayas and Mindanao.

In partnership with Japanese telco NTT Docomo and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO), Smart committed to support the rehabilitation of the mangrove plantation in Taklong Island over the next three years.

A Smart volunteer plants a mangrove propagule as part of efforts to sustain the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve in Guimaras.

About 50 volunteers, including 25 Smart employees and representatives of the La Paz Fisherfolks and Aquatic Resources Mangrove Management Association (LAFARMA), and San Roque Coastal Environment Program Association (SARCEPA), planted a total of 1,111 mangrove seedlings in the marine reserve.

“We urge our stakeholders, especially the members of LAFARMA and SARCEPA that are residing near the protected area to help in the rehabilitation and preservation efforts, like our regular mangrove planting activity.  In doing this, we not only help protect our marine sanctuaries, we also protect ourselves from possible storm surges and floods,” said Franklin Magno, park superintendent of the Taklong Island marine reserve.

Smart has made it a part of its corporate social responsibility to help in sustaining the environment, and has supported initiatives over the years in support of this advocacy.  It has been planting mangrove propagules in coastal communities in Cebu, and other parts of the country.  With risks related to flooding, Smart has also adopted upland watersheds for reforestation to help save lives.