The observance of International Mangrove Action Day every July 26 seeks to remind us of the unique importance that mangroves play in preserving healthy coastal ecosystems worldwide and to help in reversing the loss of mangrove forests and protecting the rights of coastal communities to sustainably manage and conserve their coastal wetlands and the myriad of life sustained by the mangroves.
Senator Cynthia Villar spearheaded the celebration on 26 July 2016 by holding coastal clean-up, mangrove planting activities and ribbon-cutting of the new Vermi Composting Facility at the Las Piñas – Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA). The Society of the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands was one of the many groups who joined the celebration.
The LPPCHEA was established through Proclamation No. 1402. It is a 175-hectare oastal area, containing an abundant collection of mangrove trees serving as important breeding and resting areas for migratory birds, as well as beach and estuarine forest serving as wall protecting the coastal areas of Piñas and Parañaque from storm surges and flooding. It was also declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention because of the significant role it plays as a coastal urban wetland and bird sanctuary situated within the Metropolitan Manila.
