By: Carlo Carlos

The OML Center released Science-policy Briefs (SP Brief) on the rehabilitation and management on the selected mangroves and/or beach forests of Tacloban City, Palo and Ormoc City in Leyte; and Quinapondan and General. MacArthur in Eastern Samar.

The SP Briefs were designed to provide short-term and long-term recommendations for policy and management decisions in protecting and/or rehabilitating mangrove and coastal/beach forests. The SP Briefs contain information on the impacts brought about by Typhoon Yolanda to the coastal ecosystems as well as the extent of its recovery. Peoples’ perceptions on coastal ecosystems were also briefly discussed to assess the human-ecosystem connectivity on these ecosystems. It is hoped that the key players in mangrove management may be guided by the SP Briefs especially those who work in same study sites.

An extension of the assessments done was the Coastal Bioshield Modeling that aims to exemplify the role of mangroves in attenuating impacts brought about by typhoons at a given age and time. This study shall provide insights on correct planting patterns in relation to mangrove rehabilitation. Further studies of this may provide a quantifiable extent of mangrove cover for coastal protection in a given area within the country.

The findings were results from the OML Center’s Special Project on Typhoon Yolanda that aims to assess the vulnerability of communities as well as provide evidence-based recommendations for long-term planning within the local government units as well as the coastal managers.

To access the SP Briefs and the primer on Coastal Bioshield Modeling, please click on the following links:

• SP Brief – Overview
• SP Brief – Tacloban City 
• SP Brief – Palo, Leyte
• SP Brief – Ormoc City
• SP Brief – Quinapondan, Eastern Samar
• SP Brief – General MacArthur, Eastern Samar
• Coastal Bioshield Modeling