Smart Communications, Inc. is helping reforest mangroves in Barangay Cagsao in Calabanga, Camarines Sur under a project aimed at strengthening the coastal community’s disaster preparedness program.

Some 150,000 mangrove propagules in selected areas of the barangay have already been planted. Employee-volunteers from Smart’s Customer Care Group and Network and Platform Services Division, who are based in Southern Luzon, worked with community volunteers in planting along Barangay Cagsao’s coastline.

Mangrove reforestation has been identified as one of the small-scale mitigation measures that can reduce the impact of natural disasters on the community under Project ACCORD (Strengthening Assets and Capacities of Communities and Local Governments for Resilience to Disasters).

ACCORD is being implemented by the Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR) in Barangay Cagsao. Funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department, ACCORD aims to increase the capacity of communities to reduce their risks against disasters through trainings, public awareness activities, small-scale mitigation projects, and contingency planning.

“The ACCORD project in Cagsao is now on its second year, and our primary focus is natural resource management, one of which is mangrove planting,” said CNDR Project Officer Jun Santiago.

“The approach we are using is not to import any disaster-preparedness measures but to use what’s existing. Calabanga used to be rich in mangroves, so we’re trying to bring that back.”

“Smart fully supports the CNDR-ACCORD project in Cagsao, especially since it addresses disaster-preparedness and environment issues of the community,” said Smart senior manager for Community Partnerships Darwin Flores. “The mangrove reforestation will not just eventually serve as one of the barangay’s protection from storm surges brought about by typhoons. It will also help restore the local ecosystem, and contribute to mitigating effects of climate change.”

Cagsao is one of Calabanga’s 48 barangays. A natural resource management study revealed that the municipality has lost much of its mangrove wetlands in the last couple of decades. As a result, certain areas of Cagsao have already been identified as high-risk zones during typhoons and other natural disasters.

“Mangroves are effective in helping minimize the effect of typhoons on communities. Though it takes several years for the mangroves to fully grow, it is an effective natural shield because it is deeply rooted in the mud and seafloor,” said CNDR-ACCORD Project Assistant Miguel Mandreza.

“In about three to four years, the mangroves would already be deeply rooted in the sand and the mud making it strong enough to filter storm runoff and prevent soil erosion.”

Mangroves also benefit the local marine life and provide an alternative livelihood to nearby residents. It is home to a variety of wildlife because it is a rich source of food and provides shelter.

The community on the other hand can earn a living by selling the propagules to other communities that have mangrove reforestation projects.

“Because of CNDR-ACCORD and the local government unit, Smart became a part of this project. We are committed to take care of the mangroves that we have planted together,” said Barangay Capt. Ramon Sta. Ana.