CASIGURAN, Aurora – In an effort to preserve the environment and to step up reforestation efforts in the country, more than 1,100 bakawan (mangrove trees) have been planted in this coastal town as part of the celebration of Ocean Month.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources led the mangrove tree planting activity which is participated in by hundreds of students of the Aurora State College of Technology and various environmental groups in a bid to save the declining bakawan site in Aurora.

Known as an ideal locale for surfing and scuba diving, Casiguran is the most urbanized town among the Northern municipalities of Aurora that is a home for thousands of species that depend on mangroves as their natural habitat.

The event is a part of the activities of the DENR that will highlight the conservation, protection, and management of the Philippine coastal and marine resources this month.

DENR said that the activity also aims to preserve livelihood of the people in Casiguran and to strengthen the overall economic strength of the country as it promotes food sufficiency.

The month of May has been declared as the "Month of the Ocean" through a Proclamation issued by the then President Joseph Estrada on January 9, 1999. Proclamation No. 57 recognizes that "coastal and marine resources provide both economic and ecological benefits such as food, livelihood, recreation and other services, as well as biodiversity, aesthetic value, and shoreline protection".