Women Rangers on the Front Lines of Mangrove and Coral Reef Protection in the Philippines
In the dense mangrove forests north of Mindoro island in the Philippines, two women rangers paddle through the stream, eyes sharp for any signs of illegal logging.
“Lagi naming binabantayan dahil pinuputol ang bakawan. Ako ay nagagalit kapag pinuputol dahil tirahan yun ng mga isda, dun nangingitlog ang mga isda, pati mga alimango.”(We always keep watch because the mangroves are being cut down. I get angry when they are cut down because they are the habitat of fish, where fish lay their eggs, and where crabs also live.), Eliza Dawi, a female marine ranger, explains.
In the rural town of San Teodoro, where communities engage in both fishing and farming, the forest is alive: you hear the distant hum of insects, the melodious tweets of birds, and the murmur of flowing water. Juvenile fish swim through the submerged roots of the mangroves, and crabs scuttle across the muddy banks, burrowing through their homes. Further out into the sea, coral reefs work in harmony with the mangroves to protect the shoreline from strong waves while hosting the vibrant marine life that thrives in both ecosystems and supports the local communities.
Eliza Dawi and Vilma Cruz are marine rangers, locally called “bantay dagat” in the local language. They are hired by the local government of San Teodoro in North Mindoro, working hand in hand with Blue Alliance Philippines (BA) to protect marine ecosystems in the area. Led by BA, the programme involves a strong partnership with the local governments and communities to co-manage Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and support sustainable fisheries.
Through catalytic grant funding and support from the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), BA established a Special Purpose Entity (SPE) blended finance facility that will contribute to effectively protect, manage, and monitor networks of MPAs. The financing facility is positioned to scale up reef-positive businesses, which contribute financially to the MPA management through dividends and/or revenue sharing, allowing to cover operational costs such as ranger salaries, conservation activities, livelihood development, scientific monitoring and research, and empowerment of women on the frontlines of climate change. Now fully operationalised, the facility is attracting capital from private investors including BNP Paribas and UBS Optimus Foundation.
