Source: The Visayan Daily Star
By BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Saturday, June 29, 2019

Allianz PNB Life Insurance Inc. represented by Rosalyn Martinez and Enrique B. Magalona town represented by Mayor Marvin Malacon, signed a memorandum of agreement Wednesday for the conservation and protection of the environment through a community-based mangroves conservation project in the town.

Martinez, Allianz chief marketing officer, turned over a check for P150,000 to the mayor to support the municipality’s environmental project, particularly the mangrove restoration.

She said they are adopting 10 hectares of the mangrove plantation in Brgy. Tomongtong. Aside from the financial support, there will be some involvement from them starting with clean-up, restoration, conservation initiatives around the mangrove area.

Martinez said Allianz PNB is one of the world’s leading financial services provider and they operate in 70 countries and have 92 million customers. Their customers have entrusted their money to them so, in return they rightfully expect that Allianz perform good business practices that will positively impact onthe communities and environment.

E.B. Magalonais the first local government in the Philippines that they are supporting and the first project under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy on environmental protection, she said.

Aside from environmental protection, they also have social inclusion and financial literacy under their CSR strategy, she added.

Martinez said they will continue their relationship with the Mayor’s Office to make sure there is progress and the project becomes sustainable.

Jojo Vargas, Environment Specialist 2, said their mangrove program is whole year round and in Tomongtong they have a 20-hectare mangrove forest. They also have mangrove areas in all nine coastal barangays in E.B. Magalona.

One of the purposes of having a mangrove forest is for the protection of coastal communitiesfrom typhoons because these will serve as barriers from strong winds. At the same time this will serve as breeding grounds for fishes and crabs like blue crabs which they are famous for, he said.

Vargas said the mangroves were establishedfrom 1991 to 1995 under former mayor Alfonso Gamboa.

They also conduct education campaign to make people aware of the importance of preserving their marine resources and also provide financial assistance to fisherfolk in the baranagy, he said.

Vargas said they have nine picking plants for blue crabs since this is being exported to other countries like the U.S. They started exporting blue crabs in 2001.

He said they received their first Platinum Award this month from the provincial government under its Seal of Environmental Governance. They also plan to have a local conservation area to conserve their program.

JozzJaquinta, consultant on special projects, said the blue crab is the third most expensive and most valuable export commodity of the country. They have started exporting them to the U.S. since 1995.

“We are the brainchild of the ordinance on blue crabs which was adopted by the provincial government. So we now have the Provincial Blue Crab Ordinance,” he said.*