Sagop Bakhaw

Cebu's mangroves — the bakhaw — are the coast's first line of defense: nurseries for fish, shields against storms, and quiet carbon sinks. Yet these forests are disappearing. Sagop Bakhaw (Adopt-A-Mangrove) answers that loss with a simple, powerful idea: for ₱100, a sponsor can adopt a bakhaw and help bring the forest back, one seedling at a time.

JCI Mandaue runs the project in three phases — first building a nursery and organizing fisherfolk into a community-based cooperative; then out-planting seedlings and managing the growing forest; and finally replicating the model in new coastal sites. Crucially, the fisherfolk are not just beneficiaries but partners, earning honest income from the very work that heals their shoreline.

The model is proving it can stand on its own. Seedling sales have brought in ₱209,800 in revenue, yielding a net surplus of ₱183,150 — funds that keep the nursery running and the cooperative thriving. It is sustainability in the fullest sense: greener coasts, stronger fish stocks, and a fisherfolk community with a stake in protecting Cebu's natural heritage for generations.