If you’ve ever been on vacation by the beach somewhere tropical, you’ve probably encountered mangroves, but did you know that they are in fact trees and are crucial for helping the environment and protecting the world’s coastlines?

The Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Group-10 (PAF TOG-10) has been Italpinas Development Corp (IDC)’s long time partner in serving Kagay-anons through community service responsibility (CSR).

IDC has been partnering with PAF-TOG 10 since it developed its first project, Primavera Residences in the city of Golden Friendship. PAF-TOG led community events like Mangrove Planting and Brigada Eskwela, to name a few. The most recent community effort was held at Punta Bonbon, Cagayan de Oro where IDC and PAF-TOG 10 conducted a mangrove planting activity.

“IDC is fortunate to team up with PAF-TOG 10 as one of it’s CSR partners for many years now. IDC’s CSRs are all about giving back to the community and to our environment. We are beyond grateful to have PAF-TOG 10 supporting us with our goals on building a better community for Cagayan de Oro. We share a commitment to the City of Cagayan de Oro to continuously foster and promote green advocacy” said Frances Mae R. Galvez, IDC Brand Manager.

Why do we Choose to Plant Mangroves?

Mangroves are halophytes (or salt-tolerant trees) and can be found in what’s known as the intertidal zone – the area where the coastlines meet land in tropical and subtropical locations such as Cagayan de Oro. 

What’s remarkable about them is that despite being trees they have adapted to living in salty water, the shifting sands of the world’s oceans, and the low-oxygen environment of mud. Their twisted roots and branches jut up from the sand and water like long, slender stilts and help secure the trees against the battering of the sea and changing tide, and their thick waxy leaves filter and excrete the salt from the water.

Aside from their incredible adaptation to an environment considered unfit for trees of any kind, mangroves are a critical species for protecting coastlines, endangered and threatened species, people’s livelihoods, and even helping combat climate change!