1/22/2010
Sino’ng Sikat?
Mga kuwentong pumapalibot sa bakawan
(Who’s who? Stories surrounding the mangrove)
An investigation of dominant discourses surrounding
mangroves in the Philippines
by Janalezza Morvenna A. Esteban
MSocSci, Geography
Department of Geography, Tourism, and Environmental Planning
The University of Waikato
21 January 2010
The Waikato Branch of the New Zealand Geographic Society
‘sikat’ (si·kât)
(Tagalog, adj.) denotes fame, popularity, power,
and dominance; connotes acceptability,
influence, trendiness, being in fashion, and
the state of being “in”.
Synonym: nangingibabaw (to be above; dominant)
To be sikat is to be powerful.
Usually associated with the question ‘sino’ (who)
‘kuwento’ (ku-wen-to)
‘bakawan’ (ba-ka-wan)
(Tagalog, noun.) story/ies; account of something
happening or group of happenings; narratives
(salaysay), often involving conflict and
excitement
(Tagalog, noun.) the red mangrove, Rhizophora;
refers generally to a group of coastal/wetland
trees from the shore to inland
Synonym: bida (literally hero), talumpati (dramatic
speech or discourse)
Associated with fish, mosquitoes, and mud.
Also associated with the question ‘sino’ (who)
Where is the Philippines?
Quick facts
• Location: Between
latitude 21°25'N and
4°23'N and longitude
116°E and 127°E.
• Land area: 300,000
sqkm (7,107 islands)
• Terrain: Diverse
• Climate: Tropical (27°C)
• Population: 88.57M
(2007); 94.01M (2010)
http://www.philippines-asiatravel.com/images/map_philippines.jpg
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Culture: Pinoy life
Fish and rice is our main diet
• Spanish colony (15211898)
• American
commonwealth (18991946)
• Catholic majority
• US-patterned political
system
• Farmers and fisherfolk
Mangroves, fish and rice
Why is the Philippines interesting?
• The average Filipino yearly income is
USD3,546 (NZD 5,072). Or roughly
USD295 (NZD 422) per month.
• Majority of the regional population are
subsistence farmers and fisher folk
• Aquaculture (fish pond and shrimp
ponds) is popular along coasts,
especially in mangrove areas
Why is the Philippines interesting
for me?
Sources: Roberts et al., 2002; Veron 2001
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What are mangroves?
Mangroves are “trees, shrubs, palms, herbs or
ferns that grow in intertidal areas of tropical
and subtropical shorelines” (Primavera et.al.
2004)
• Physical properties: “salt storers”,
“breathing roots”, “tsunami barriers”, good
firewood
• Biochemical properties: medicinal values,
tannins, nursery ground for various fauna
(fish and shrimps!)
Mangroves form part of a complex coastal ecosystem
corals
mangroves
seagrasses
seaweeds
Slide courtesy of Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan (DLSU)
Spotlight on Philippine mangroves
Focus on the scientific…
• Biological
• Chemical
• Physical
• Ecological
‘natural’ (or old) stands
Afforestation areas
Photo courtesy of PAMS
Photo courtesy of PAMS
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Common mangrove zones
Mangrove management focus
1. Mangrove clearing for aquaculture ponds
2. Monospecific planting (seaward)
3. Wood thinning: charcoal, firewood, building materials, etc.
Bruguiera
Rhizophora, mostly monospecific!
Rhizophora
Nypa
Ceriops
Sonneratia
High intertidal
Fishponds!
Avicennia
Mid intertidal
Low intertidal
Tidal creek
Slide courtesy of PAMS
Sino’ng Sikat?
Asking about the dominant discourses around
mangroves in the Philippines, as documented
in selected mangrove management projects
will provide insights on Philippine mangroves
and how Philippine society relates to these
ecosystems.
Asking about the Sikat
• Selected 3 mangrove management projects in
Luzon and Visayas
• Asked the following research questions
• How does literature portray Philippine
mangroves?
• How are mangroves prioritized in society?
• Is there any mismanagement? How does
the literature show this?
• What ‘space’ does mangroves occupy in the
Philippines?
How did I find out?
• Identified dominant discourses surrounding
mangroves in the Philippines, as documented by
project/program literature
• Examined recurring themes in dominant
discourses among selected groups of people in
Philippine society
• Traced connections between the identified
dominant discourses and trends of success or
failure
• Situated the space that mangroves occupy in the
Philippines
What I found (Part 1)
• Mangrove project literature was difficult to
access
– Only accessible in project offices, or by special
request through librarians
• Scientific articles provided more detail than
popular materials for the communities
• Different agencies, each with different
agenda, are involved in mangrove projects
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Selected mangrove documents
PHILIPPINES POVERTY MAP 2004 (Regional) http://www.nscb.gov.ph
What I found out (Part 2)
• The three big dominant discourses in the
literature are science, economics, and
community development
• The most influential drivers of the mangrove
projects are the Experts (scientists,
development workers), the Decisionmakers
(government agencies), and the DonorFunders
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What I found out (Conclusion)
Agenda: Poverty alleviation ?
So Sino’ng Sikat?
Mangrove project literature reveals Experts
(scientists, development workers),
Decisionmakers (government agencies), and
Donor-Funders as having the loudest voice in
Philippine mangrove management projects.
Mangroves, originally the focal point for the
entire resource management enterprise,
become more of a background and a setting
for the Sikats—represented by the Experts,
the Decisionmakers, and the DonorFunders—to carry out their respective
corporate agenda.
Hope for the future
The findings of this research will contribute to the debate for suitable
management strategies and sustainable approaches to mangroves in
the Philippines; which, I hope, will form intelligent and appropriate
Philippine development policies concerning ODA-funded mangrove
rehabilitation projects.
Their influence shows the dominance of science,
economics, and community development as
determinants of bigger environmental projects
aimed at resolving more complex issues.
Maraming salamat po!
I acknowledge the Waikato Branch of
the New Zealand Geographical Society
and
the NZAID Development Awards for
making this research possible.
Sino’ng Sikat?
Mga kuwentong pumapalibot sa bakawan
21 January 2009
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