| Contributed Photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Visayas now has its own Mangrove Propagation and Information Center that is located in Cordova town on Mactan Island.
The two-storey facility in Barangay Day-as was inaugurated on January 27 with officials of Cordova town and the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) in attendance.
In an advisory, MPIC said that the center is the first of its kind in the Visayas and the third in the country.
The facility will serve as a training area to ensure the protection and propagation of mangrove trees, rehabilitation of degraded mangroves in Cordova town, as well as provide information for locals and visitors to appreciate the importance and benefits of mangroves in the ecosystem.
Its second floor is designed to serves as a viewing deck for bird-watching activities.
“Similar to our existing centers in Alaminos, Pangasinan and Del Carmen, Siargao, it will create employment opportunities that positively impacts the economic condition of their municipality,” MPIF President Melody M. Del Rosario said.
Timed with the inauguration of the center was the induction of the town’s mangrove eco-guides. Four individuals nominated by the local government will serve as official mangrove eco-guides and will handle the daily operations and maintenance of the mangrove center. They are also tasked to provide orientation and guide visitors during their tour at the center and town’s mangrove park.
“Aside from being a point of convergence for mangrove information and research, we intend to sustain it through creating complimentary programs that highlight our rich and thriving ecotourism,” said Cordova Mayor Mary Therese “Teche” Sitoy Cho.