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MANILA, Philippines — Environmental groups are urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend the earth-balling and relocation of mangroves, warning that the practice could result in the death of up to 80% of trees removed, as a House resolution calls for an examination of the agency’s policy.
The call was made by the Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines (GMAP), international ocean conservation organization Oceana and mangrove scientist Dr. Jurgenne Primavera of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), amid a congressional inquiry into the DENR’s guidelines allowing mangrove earth-balling in exceptional circumstances.
The DENR memorandum, dated Oct. 8, 2025, is titled Interim Operational Guidance and Conditions on the Earth-balling and Relocation of Mangroves in Exceptional Circumstances. It provides guidance for processing requests to earth-ball and relocate mangroves pending the completion of a study by the agency’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau.
Under the memorandum, mangroves “shall not be removed or disturbed” as a rule. Earth-balling and relocation may be considered only in specified exceptional cases, including when mangrove trees pose a danger or when the activity involves an infrastructure flagship project endorsed by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, provided that mitigation measures to avoid impacts on mangroves have been exhausted.
