GROUPS WANT DENR TO SUSPEND ITS MANGROVE EARTH-BALLING POLICY
Environmental groups are asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to suspend an interim policy that allows mangroves to be moved under specified exceptional circumstances.
Earth-balling means digging up a tree together with a mass of soil around its roots, securing that root ball and transferring the tree to another site. The DENR memorandum dated October 8, 2025 says mangroves should generally remain undisturbed.
The same memorandum allows relocation when a mangrove presents a danger or when an infrastructure flagship project endorsed by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development cannot avoid affecting mangroves despite mitigation efforts.
Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines, Oceana and mangrove scientist Jurgenne Primavera have called for the policy to be suspended or placed under a moratorium while Congress and DENR review it. They argue that moving individual trees can damage the connected soil, water, vegetation and wildlife systems that allow a mangrove area to function.
DENR’s rules require safeguards, field supervision and compliance with environmental assessments. The unresolved issue is whether those safeguards can protect mature mangroves and preserve the coastal functions lost when trees are removed from their original location.
Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna told a House appropriations hearing on August 26 that the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau was conducting the second phase of its review. DENR expects to issue a policy report in early 2027.
For coastal communities, the outcome can affect fisheries, shoreline protection and the design of roads, airports and other infrastructure. Project proponents also need a rule that is scientifically defensible and consistently enforced.
WHAT TO WATCH
Watch for the ERDB policy report expected in early 2027, the House inquiry and a public inventory of mangrove earth-balling applications, permits, locations and survival results.
Measured outcomes are essential. Without transparent before-and-after records, the public cannot determine whether the policy is protecting mangroves, creating an infrastructure loophole or producing results that justify keeping it.
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