Local News: Cojuangco Introduces Low-Tech Shoreline Protection Program

Former 4th District congressman Carlos "Charlie" Cojuangco has introduced a low-cost, low-technology and community-based shoreline protection program to coastline barangays in Pulupandan town.

The technology involves bagging stones in net bags and lining the coastlines with these to trap sand so that instead of eroding, it reclaims the land, he said.

Cojuangco, son of former Ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr., explained that the technology is low-cost because the nets can come from big fishing boats which discard them after one use.

Materials needed are only nylons to make bags out of the used nets and the stones to fill them up, he added.

"We help the environment by preventing soil erosion at the same time we find use for these discarded nets," Cojuangco said.

This should also bring together our communities in the spirit of bayanihan, he added.

Cojuangco, who heads the COC Foundation, Inc., a private group that does community projects, gave nets and nylons for the barangays to use for the pilot project. He said he can also help them find more of these used nets to pursue the project.

Cojuangco demonstrated the project at Barangay Patik, one of the barangays in Pulupandan that need shoreline protection.

Pulupandan Municipal Administrator Federico Infante Jr., who was at the demonstration, said the town has 13 coastal barangays running 17 kilometers of coastlines.* (DBDangcalan)