There is such a place called Mambulao. That place is present day Municipality of Jose Panganiban in the province of Camarines Norte. The town was formerly known as Mambulao but was renamed to honor its native son Jose Maria Panganiban on Nov 30, 1934 by virtue of Act 4155. A hero of the Philippines' struggle for reform during the Spanish colonial era, Jose Maria E. Panganiban is one of the main writers and contributors to La Solidaridad, under the pen names "Jomapa" and "J.M.P."
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| Right in front of the municipal hall of Jose Panganiban is the monument of the hero. |
Even before the time of the Spaniards, Mambulao and the neighboring town of Paracale were known already for its gold with Chinese merchants visiting to trade gold with the natives. The first discovery of gold by Westerners in the Mambulao-Paracale district was by Don Juan Salcedo (the 22-year old grandson of Governor-General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi) in 1572. Since Salcedo's time, the region has experienced several periods of mining activity for the precious ore, in the early 1600s , the late 1800s to the American years before World War 2 and even to the early 21st Century. Yes indeed, Mambulao and Paracale have seen its days and years as boom towns where men and women journeyed to seek their fortune in gold.
The Mangrove Loving Penguin journeyed also to the town of Mambulao (now known as Jose Panganiban). Not to seek gold but to look for another kind of precious thing of nature - mangrove forests.
The town of Jose Panganiban did not disappoint. Mambulao awed with its abundance of mangroves, both in its numbers and in its diversity. This the MLP experienced first hand thanks to the hospitality and help from Municipal Public Information Officer / Municipal Tourism Officer Narciso Panganiban III and his staff from the Jose Panganiban LGU. The coordination with the LGU officials was made with the help of Geom de Lima and his brother Bhadz who communicated with Kim Non.
Talk about NUMBERS. The Municipality of Jose Panganiban has 27 barangays of which 19 are coastal barangays. According to the Municipal Agricultural Technologist (AT-Aide) Dyzan Ramos, 74% (14/19) of these coastal barangays have mangroves. MLP was able to visit barangays Salvacion and Dahican and the mangrove forests in these two barangays have a sizeable hectarage. The Salvacion Mangrove Forest dwarfs the local barangay residential community beside it. As seen in the air via drone, it looks to be covering an entire cove jutting out of a peninsula. The waterways formed by the tidal river flowing thru the Salvacion Mangrove Forest offer some excellent kayaking adventure. The mangrove forest in Barangay Dahican is even bigger than the one in Barangay Salvacion. Via drone, we can see that there are a number of tidal rivers and creeks snaking in and out of the Dahican Mangrove Forest.
Will let the drone photos do the talking further of the length and girth of the mangroves forests in Salvacion and Dahican.
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| Crossing the Salvacion Mangrove Forest is a concrete footbridge which schoolchildren use to cross from their community to the public school on the other side of the peninsula. |
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| The crystal clear water tempted us to wade thru Salvacion Mangrove Forest. |
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| View of the Salvacion Mangrove Forest from the drone above. On the left and top part of the photo, the mangrove forest dwarfs (several times) the local rural community of Brgy Salvacion on the right. There is a colony of flying foxes residing in parts of the mangrove forest. |
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| Visiting the Dahican Mangrove Forest, we flew the drone from the boat. |
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| The Dahican Mangrove Forest is bigger than the one in Salvacion. |
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| Tidal river cuts thru the Dahican Mangrove Forest |
This the list of mangrove species (true mangroves and mangrove associates) identified in the Salvacion Mangrove Forest by the DENR.
1. Piagao (Xylocarpus moluccencis)
2. Kulasi (Lumnitzera racemosa)
3. Sapinit (Caesalpina nuga)
4. Lagiwliw (Acanthus ebracteatus)
5. Miyapi (Avicennia rumphiana)
6. Tabige (Xylocarpus granatum)
7. Busain (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)
8. Bakawan lalaki (Rhizophora apiculata)
9. Tangal (Ceriops tagal)
10. Malatangal (Ceriops decandra)
11. Saging-saging (Aegiceras corniculatum)
12. Tabog (Barringtonia asiatica)
13. Tabao (Lumnitzera littorea)
14. Pagatpat (Sonneratia alba)
15. Bakawan Babae (Rhizophora mucronata)
16. Bakawan Bato (Rhizophora stylosa)
17. Buta-buta (Excoecaria agallocha)
18. Malatinta (Diospyros maritima)
19. Nipa (Nypa fruticans)
20. Dungon late (Heriteria littoralis)
21. Kamot kabag (Smilax leucophylla)
22. Gapas-gapas (Camptostemon philippinensis)
23. Bungalon (Avicennia marina)
24. Tinduk-tindukan (Aegiceras floridum)
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| The fruit of the Tabige mangrove (Xylocarphus granatum) is big like the size of a softball. Same as that of the Piagao mangrove (Xylocarphus moluccencis). The difference between the 2 mangrove species is that the Tabige has a smooth light brown to greenish outer bark while the bark of the Piagao is dark, rough and fissured. |
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| A distinctive feature of the Saging-saging mangrove (Aegeciras corniculatum) is its fruit. The curved fruits hang in clusters like small bananas. |
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| The Lagiwliw mangrove (Acanthus ebracteatus) is a sprawling shrub with leaves that are dark green, stiff and with sharp spines at the end of each deep lobe. It maybe small compared to the other true mangroves but it has an abundance of medicinal properties like antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, and anti-melanogenesis. In rural areas, decoction of Lagiwliw leaves and roots is used for asthma. |
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| One of the more common mangrove species in the Philippines, the Bakawan Lalaki (Rhizophota apiculata) forms monospecific stands along the seaward zone behind pioneering mangrove species like Bungalon and Pagatpat. It is said that the original taku (cue stick) used by billiard legend Efren "Bata" Reyes was made of Bakawan Lakaki wood. |
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| Like a sentinel at the seafront, a lone Bungalon mangrove (Avicennia marina) is at the front of a stand of Bakawan Lalaki mangroves. It is a pioneer mangrove species and the first to colonize open tidal habitats. Bungalon mangrove has a high tolerance to hypersaline conditions. |
AT-Aide Ramos added that the DENR did the identification and validation of the 24 species in Salvacion Mangrove Forest within an area of 0.5 hectare. Chances are if the identification coverage area is quadrupled to 2 hectares, more mangrove species could be identified. Whether it is 24 mangrove species or 26 , it just goes to show the richness of the diversity in Mambulao.
Diversity in nature is vital for healthy ecosystems. Mangrove diversity is important because it contributes to the overall health and resilience of the coastal ecosystems. A mangrove forest with diverse mangrove species provides a greater range of habitats and resources, supports the productivity of coastal zones, and enhances the ecosystem's ability to withstand stressors like tropical cyclones and rising sea levels. Different mangrove species have unique adaptations, contributing to a more robust and stable ecosystem. For example, different species have varying root systems, leaf structures and nutrient uptake capabilities, all influencing the overall ecosystem's function.
Yup, ecosystem's function which leads us to the topic of ECOSYSTEM SERVICES which refers to benefits to humans. The ecosytem services of mangroves are varied and numerous. Foremost among these ecosystem services of mangroves are coastal protection, support for fisheries, and climate change mitigation. Mangroves are incredibly valuable in many ways. And there have been attempts to put a monetary value of these ecosystem services of mangroves. The numbers vary from a low of US$ 1,550 per hectare annually (1989) to US$ 16,000 per hectare annually (2024). Why the big disparity? The low amount came from a study in 1989 when at that time, the valuation of mangroves was focused on the readily quatifiable economic benefits derived from direct use of mangroves, such as fishing and timber production. The 1989 valuation did not take into account the benefits from carbon sequestration and coastal protection. The 2024 Technical Report of the World Bank valued mangroves goods and services at US$ 14,000 - US$ 16,000 per hectare annually and this one focused more on the flood reduction benefits. Imagine if we include the sizeable carbon sequestration benefits, that dollar value could go as high to US$ 100,000 per hectare annually.
Whatever the dollar value of the ecosystem benefits, one thing should be clear by now - mangroves are very valuable. In this present time where the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to the adverse effects of climate change, the mangrove forest is one of the most important ecosystems of our beloved country given its adaptation and mitigation benefits. Just like gold, the mangrove forest is a very valuable natural resource of Jose Panganiban town.
It is inspiring to know that the people of Mambulao are very much aware of the value of their mangroves and are doing something about it. The Jose Panganiban townsfolk, led by the municipal and barangay LGUs, are engaged as a community in taking care of the mangroves. The town is blessed to have leaders like Mayor Ariel Non, the Sangguniang Bayan and Department Heads who are progressive in their thinking. There are programs dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating the mangrove forests. The past couple of years has seen the town receiving awards and recognition for these efforts:
In May this year, the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC) of Jose Panganiban was hailed as one of the top 3 finalists in the 2025 Gawad Saka National Search fpr Outstanding MFARMC in an awarding ceremony led by the DENR Secretary Francisco Tiu. Among its accomplishments is the formulation and enforcement of local fisheries policies, including those promoting sustainabile fishing practices and marine conservation. These policies supported initiatives such as mangrove rehabilitation, coastal cleanups, and the establishment of marine protected areas.
Last year, the Jose Panganiban LGU was recognized as 2nd Best Mangrove Awardee in Region 5. The Best Mangrove Award was launched by the DENR to recognize the outstanding mangrove rehabilitation and management undertaken by local government units, people's organizations, and local communities in the region.
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| Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. presented the award to MFARMC Chair Willie Selorico who was accompanied by Mayor Ariel Non and LGU & BFAR Region 5 officials. |
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| 1st Runner Up Award (Best Mangrove Award in Bicol) for LGU-Jose Panganiban |
Even the youth of have joined in. Earlier this year, a team of students from the Jose Panganiban National High School (JPNHS) participated in the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Held in Columbus, Ohio (USA), the ISEF is the world's largest pre-college science and engineering competition. The entry of the JPNHS students for the ISEF competition is the Mangrove Analytics and Prediction System (MAPS) which is a web-based tool that estimates how many mangrove samplings will survive based on deviations from optimal conditions.
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| The team from Jose Panganiban National High School at the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio |
This bounty of mangrove-related awards and recognitions for Jose Panganiban LGU and townsfolk is a clear sign that the people of the town value greatly their precious natural resource.
Mabuhay ang Mambulao. God bless the people and mangroves in the Land of Gold.
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