House to DENR: Suspend Mangrove Earth-Balling During Policy Review

by Miriam G. Desacada

Tacloban City – – The Environmental groups warn that the earth-balling policy being pushed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) could lead to the death of up to 80% of all mangroves extracted, with more expected to die after two years.

The DENR policy – titled Interim Operational Guidelines and Conditions on the Earth-balling and Relocation of Mangroves in Exceptional Circumstances, released on October 8, 2025 – sets the rules on the clearing of mangrove forests to make way for infrastructure. This threatens to strip coastal communities of a natural defense against the devastating impacts of floods and typhoons, which are projected to worsen due to climate change.

“Repeal the DENR Guidelines now. Congress must investigate to stop this threat to our remaining mangroves,” said Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, Chief Mangroves Scientific Advisor of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

Primavera, a leading mangrove conservation expert recognized globally for her extensive work in the field, alongside the Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines (GMAP) and Oceana, questioned why the DENR still continued to institutionalize its mangrove earth-balling measures despite having been provided with local and international scientific data showing very low survival rates. Among the studies previously presented to the DENR as far back as March 2025 are:

• a China-based study showing a low 20-25% survival of two mangrove species 10 months after earth-balling (Wang and Wang, 2007);
• an Australia-based study showing mortality after 2.5 years for mangroves with average trunk diameter of more than 5 cm (Abbot and Marohasy, 2014); and
• a Philippine-based study showing the average trunk diameter for adult mangroves in five barangays in Ibajay, Aklan to be 9-16 cm range, much larger than the maximum 5 cm diameter stated above (ZSL-Philippines data).

The Philippines is known for hosting at least 50% of the approximately 65 mangrove species found worldwide. Its mangrove cover, however, has declined from a high of 500,000 hectares in the early part of 20^th century to roughly 285,000 to 311,400 hectares in 2020.

CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY:

A probe into the DENR Guidelines has also been filed at the House of Representatives. In House Resolution No. 1206 Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima questioned the agency for issuing the Guidelines to its Regional Executive Directors, despite it contravening existing laws such as the Fisheries Code (RA 8550), Presidential Proclamation 2152 which declares the entire Palawan province as mangrove reserves, and possibly the Indigenous People’s Rights Act should the mangrove forests being targeted for earth-balling fall within ancestral domains.

Aside from the breaches in the existing laws, GMAP said the prescribed mitigation measures to prevent the death of mangroves when earth-balled and transferred are inadequate. GMAP added that many coastal areas with mangroves targeted for cutting have been declared no-build zones after Supertyphoon Haiyan in 2013, one of the deadliest typhoons in recorded history that killed at least 6,300 persons.

“In the spirit of precaution, all earth-balling of mangroves must stop while Congress examines the scientific, legal, and governance questions surrounding the policy,” said GMAP.

“By allowing earth-balling, the DENR is sacrificing proven nature-based solutions for short-term economic gain. Shouldn’t the DENR be held accountable for reneging on its mandate to protect mangroves and uphold nature-based safeguards especially at a time when every coastal community in the country is under siege from flooding and storm surges?” said Von Hernandez, Oceana Vice President.

THE NEXT EARTH-BALLING PROJECT

With the DENR Guidelines institutionalizing mangrove earth-balling nationally, one mangrove forest in particular is in danger of being earth-balled next: Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City, Leyte, known as “ground zero” of Supertyphoon Haiyan. Operators of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport announced on July 29 that mangroves in the airport’s vicinity will have to be removed to make way for shore protection infrastructure, a new perimeter road, and to prevent bird strikes.

THE WAY FORWARD: A NATIONAL COASTAL GREENBELT LAW

The environmental groups opposing DENR’s earth-balling policy stressed that no infrastructure project is truly sustainable if it sacrifices the natural ecosystems that are already serving as frontline climate solutions. They cited the 40-hectare Floodway Project in Jaro, Iloilo as a successful nature-based solution that integrated infrastructure into the natural mangrove environment.

The truly sustainable way forward, they said, was not a set of rules on how to dig out mangroves, but a law that puts the protection of these natural coastal ecosystems front and center of all policy. They urge the passage of the National Coastal Greenbelt Bill, which aims to strengthen measures for restoring mangrove forests and providing nature-based solutions to protect vulnerable coastal communities.

Oceana joins the ZSL and GMAP in reaffirming support for both for De Lima’s investigation and the urgent passage of the National Coastal Greenbelt Act. “With climate impacts intensifying, we appeal to President Marcos Jr. to certify the passage of this bill as urgent,” Hernandez added.  

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