Written by: Luis Recto, Year 12
Photographs by: Year 12 Biology and ESS Class
The Lago de Oro resort is located in Calatagan, Batangas - roughly a two hour car ride away from Metro Manila. When a large group of Year 12 students visited the resort earlier this year to study ecology and the mangrove swamps that surrounded the resort, many of the students were astounded by what they learned.
Mangroves are vital to our country’s coastline, and play a crucial role in protecting the communities that are by the ocean. The 2004 tsunami that engulfed Northern Thailand launched a debate on how important mangrove swamps are in defending against natural disasters. Despite the fact that global awareness has lead to our realisation that maintaining mangrove swamps is vital, what we saw at Lago de Oro was worrying. There were mounds of trash and garbage, and in comparison to years in the past, the mangroves swamps were more damaged and were consequentially affected by the rubbish that floats ashore.
This trip opened my eyes to understand how pollution has a lasting effect on something that could potentially save hundreds of lives. The trip was not only an academic endeavour, it also helped us to realize an issue that needs to be understood and broadcasted to the rest of the country.
Countless numbers of articles like this one have been written about mangroves - this is no different to the others. But with the right amount of awareness, the protection of these ecosystems can continue to keep places like Lago de Oro as beautiful as it is today.
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