Thirty fisherfolk and residents from vulnerable coastal households in Alaminos City, Pangasinan, are earning extra income while replanting a mangrove forest that helps shield their communities from storms.
The Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF), the social development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), and the Alaminos City government launched Project RESHORE, a P1-million cash-for-work and mangrove restoration initiative, The Manila Times and InsiderPH reported.
RESHORE stands for Resilient Ecosystem and Sustainable Habitats through Organized Restoration and Employment.
A Quarter of the Eco-Park Damaged
The project targets the Bued Mangrove Eco-Park.
Of its 8.17 hectares, 2.19 hectares, or 26.79 percent, have been identified as severely damaged after disturbances including Typhoon Emong in 2025, according to InsiderPH and The Manila Times.
Participants will clear dead and degraded mangroves, remove marine debris and other waste, and plant mangrove propagules suited to the site, the reports said.
MPIF said it consulted marine scientist Dr. Jurgenne Primavera so that the species planted can survive recurring typhoons, InsiderPH reported.
Cash for Work Until Oct. 31
The project runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31.
Participants work up to five hours a day and receive allowances, protective equipment, tools, and technical guidance, InsiderPH reported.
They underwent capacity-building and training on Aug. 26 before the restoration work began.
InsiderPH noted that the initiative gives participating families another source of income as fisherfolk deal with high fuel costs and fluctuating fishing conditions.
Project RESHORE runs under MPIF’s Gabay Kabuhayan program and is recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as a cash-for-work intervention under its Risk Resiliency Program Framework, according to The Manila Times and InsiderPH.
“The Real Work Starts After the Signing”
MPIF President Melody del Rosario and Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste signed the memorandum of agreement.
“The communities will give life to the commitments outlined in the MOA. The real work starts after the signing, when everything falls into place, and we begin putting these plans into action,” del Rosario said, according to InsiderPH and The Manila Times.
“Lagi niyo po kaming kasama, especially in taking care of our coastal resources and mangroves. This is a team-up, a partnership to make sure that we are doing the right thing for the environment,” Celeste said, as quoted by InsiderPH.
Building on Earlier Work
RESHORE builds on MPIF’s existing partnership with Alaminos under the foundation’s Shore It Up environmental program.
That partnership includes a Mangrove Information Center and nursery, InsiderPH reported.
MPIF had previously named Alaminos City its Most Outstanding Partner for Shore It Up.
Del Rosario praised the city’s mangrove eco-guides.
“They are truly the face of our Mangrove Information Center. Without them, it would simply remain a building,” she said, according to InsiderPH.
She added that RESHORE could serve as a model for similar livelihood and restoration projects elsewhere in Pangasinan.
