San Miguel Corp. (SMC) announced the start of a project aiming to grow mud crabs in its 10-hectare mangrove plantation in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
“Along with our goal to help address flooding through the planting of mangroves in these priority areas identified by the DENR [Department of Environment of Natural Resources], we are seeding 100,000 mud crabs monthly at Hagonoy’s mangrove plantation area to help boost the country’s mud crab production,” San Miguel President and COO Ramon S. Ang said.
Ang noted that the mud crab business has been an established industry in the country with the Philippines being one of the top producers in the world.
SMC documents explained that Hagonoy, Bulacan, is one of the company’s priority areas for its massive mangrove-planting program “to help address perennial flooding in Bulacan province and Central Luzon.”
Hagonoy’s coastal area is part of the total 76 hectares under SMC’s mangrove-planting program, according to the company. SMC added that it plans to plant 190,000 mangroves in the coastal areas covering Bulacan and Central Luzon.
The company said it has planted the first 8,000 of the 25,000 mangroves in a 3-hectare area in Hagonoy’s Barangay Tibaguin last July 29. The company expects the remainder completed within the year.
Game-changer
According to Ang, the mangrove areas are a good breeding ground for mud crabs and will provide the local government unit of Hagonoy, fishermen, local entrepreneurs and rural communities with a “sustainable source of income given the mud crabs’ high-income potential.”
SMC said mud crabs are considered a “culinary delicacy.” It added there is a growing demand for mud crabs both in local and international markets, making it a “foreign exchange earner” and “major source of livelihood” for Filipino fishermen and fishpond owners.
Aside from additional income, Hagonoy residents are expected to benefit from the project by preventing floods brought on by the rainy season, tidal floods and waters coming from the Pampanga basin, SMC said.
SMC said its mangrove planting program is part of the company’s flood-mitigation plan ahead of the construction of the Manila International Airport in October.
“These flood mitigation measures are all integral to airport development. It’s very important to address these environmental concerns before investing over P700 billion for the airport,” Ang said.
“This airport is a game-changer for everyone and will help revive the economy of Bulacan and the country against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added. Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas