IF, SCIPSI kick off mangrove restoration in Sarangani

The ICTSI Foundation (IF) and South Cotabato Integrated Port Services Inc. (SCIPSI)  recently launched an environmental initiative in Sarangani, planting 2,000 mangrove seedlings in Barangay Tuyan, Malapatan under the Mangrove Restoration Project.

Over the next three years, the project will see the planting of 125,200 seedlings throughout the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape.

The project launch brought together SCIPSI volunteers and the Purok Jolohano Women’s Association, alongside representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Region XII, the Malapatan local government, the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

At the launch, DENR Regional Executive Director Felix Alicer and Malapatan Mayor Salway Sumbo Jr. emphasized the importance of multi-agency collaboration to protect the local environment.

Filipina Laurena, IF executive director, shared her optimism for the long-term partnership, while Gabriel Muñasque, SCIPSI General Manager, committed the company to monthly monitoring and planting sessions with the Protected Area Management Bureau.

Beyond restoring the ecosystem, the project provides coastal protection and support sustainable livelihoods for the surrounding communities.