ON Oct. 2, 2026, I had the privilege of speaking at a stakeholders’ conference at Queen Margarette Hotel in Mauban, Quezon. The presentation, “Guardians of the Coast, Architects of Our Economy,” gathered 50 tourism stakeholders (fishers, business owners, tourism operators and community leaders) to consider an important question: How can Mauban strengthen its resilience to climate change while building an economy that creates lasting benefits for its people?
My message: these goals are not in conflict. Protecting the environment and growing the local economy are deeply connected. In a coastal municipality like Mauban, nature supports livelihoods, safeguards communities and gives visitors a reason to come. Weakening that foundation puts both people and prosperity at risk. Wise care can build a resilient, inclusive economy rooted in the place’s character.
I invited the audience to think about the coast as a shared home and a source of security. Philippine communities are experiencing the effects of stronger storms, coastal erosion, flooding and changing weather patterns. These pressures affect homes and infrastructure, fishing grounds, small businesses, tourism activities and household incomes. Preparing for climate impacts must be part of how we plan for Mauban’s future.
I highlighted the role of natural infrastructure. Mangroves, reefs and other coastal ecosystems provide benefits that are difficult to replace with built structures alone. Mangroves store carbon, help buffer shorelines from waves and storm surges, stabilize sediments and provide nursery habitat for fish. Their value is ecological, practical and economic: healthy ecosystems help protect communities and sustain marine-dependent livelihoods.
I encouraged them to see mangrove protection and restoration as an investment. That means identifying vulnerable areas, caring for existing mangrove forests, restoring degraded sites where appropriate and involving residents in stewardship. Planting trees is only one part of the work. Long-term success depends on choosing suitable locations and species, protecting young plants, monitoring results and addressing the pressures that caused damage in the first place.
An example is Del Carmen, Siargao, where mangroves and community participation have demonstrated how conservation and livelihoods can reinforce one another. Mauban should not copy another community. Each place has its own ecosystems, culture and needs. Del Carmen shows the value of treating natural assets as something communities can protect and benefit from over time.
Community benefits
Resilience includes the ability of households to meet their needs. Tagum City’s Tagumpay sa Gulayan program is an example of organized community gardening. It illustrates how local action can help make food more accessible while bringing people together around a shared purpose. For Mauban, the question is how residents, schools, barangay and organizations might develop food-growing initiatives suited to their own conditions. Community gardens will not solve every challenge, but practical local efforts can strengthen preparedness and cooperation.
My presentation focused on making tourism work more directly for Mauban’s residents. Tourism can create jobs and support local enterprises, but the benefits do not automatically reach the people who live in the destination. I emphasized the importance of community-based ecotourism, with residents shaping the visitor experience, managing tourism and receiving a fair share of its benefits. Locals can become trained guides, homestay hosts, food providers, boat operators and enterprise managers.
They can set expectations that respect community life and protect sensitive natural areas. Their knowledge, culture and priorities should help guide tourism planning. Communities that have a meaningful stake in tourism have a stronger reason and greater capacity to care for the places visitors come to experience.
Inspired by Cebu’s “Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo” concept, I proposed exploring a “Mauban Heritage & Coastal Trail,” linking heritage houses, local stories, coastal sites, food and community-led activities into a coherent itinerary. The aim is to encourage richer experiences and longer stays, creating more opportunities for local guides, eateries, transport providers, artisans and other small businesses.
None of these efforts can succeed through isolated action. Cooperation among barangay can align conservation work, share information, coordinate visitor experiences and address problems that affect multiple communities.
I concluded with a call for shared commitments: protect mangroves and reefs as essential natural infrastructure; make local ownership and benefit-sharing central to tourism; and strengthen cooperation among barangay and community sectors. These steps will take planning, resources and persistence, and require listening to residents and building on what communities are already doing.
The conference affirmed that Mauban’s natural and cultural assets are among its greatest foundations. By caring for the coast, creating meaningful opportunities for local people and working together across communities, Mauban can prepare for climate challenges while building lasting prosperity.
The author is the founder and chief strategic advisor of the Young Environmental Forum and a nonresident fellow of Stratbase Institute. He completed a climate change and development course at the University of East Anglia (UK) and an executive program on sustainability leadership at Yale University (USA). You can email him at ludwig.federigan@gmail.com