SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Region III have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to develop some 400 square meters of mangrove area within the Subic Bay Freeport. 

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño and BJMP Regional Director Chief Superintendent (JCSupt) Paulino H. Moreno Jr. signed the MOA at the SBMA boardroom here on March 12.

Under the MOA, SBMA will designate an area within the SBFZ mangrove forest to be adopted by BJMPRO3 and provide mangrove seedlings from the agency’s mangrove nursery will also be provided.

Meanwhile, BJMPRO3 personnel will plant at least 100 seedlings and ensure the survival of the planted mangrove propagules. 

BJMPRO3 personnel will also conduct regular cleanup activities, provide adequate manpower, and hand over the area to SBMA after three years, while the SBMA will monitor and evaluate the adopted area annually.

“And after completing the three-year program, SBMA will award BJMPRO3 with a certificate of completion upon turnover of the area to SBMA,” Aliño said.

SBMA Ecology Center OIC Rossell L. Abuyo and BJMPPO Zambales Provincial Jail Administrator JSupt. Ferdinand G. Malabo witnessed the signing of the MOA along with other SBMA and BJMP officials.

The Subic Bay Freeport Zone hosts approximately 61 to 65 hectares of protected mangrove forests, primarily in the Triboa Bay, Binictican, and Malawaan areas. 

These serve as crucial coastal protection, wildlife habitats, and ecotourism sites, with ongoing conservation efforts, including tree planting and rehabilitation, conducted by the SBMA Ecology Center and its partners. ▲