AYEJ Newsroom

Redirections happen, and it led me to mangroves, then seagrasses

A hemophobic kid who once dreamed of medical school found his way to marine biology instead — and then to mangroves, a field he calls "a dying breed" worth saving.

Matthew Tabilog · 5 min read · Sep 12, 2026

Redirections happen, and it led me to mangroves, then seagrasses

Hope

Where the water once fed us: As Navotas' tahungan disappears, fisherfolk adapt to keep their way of life afloat

Bamboo tahungan once lined Manila Bay, supporting generations of Navotas mussel farmers like Arvin Escarial. A 500-hectare reclamation project has demolished them, leaving fisherfolk to fight for what remains.

Ace Russell C. Pizarro · 7 min read · Sep 12, 2026

Where the water once fed us: As Navotas' tahungan disappears, fisherfolk adapt to keep their way of life afloat

#coastal communities

Redirections happen, and it led me to mangroves, then seagrasses

Where the water once fed us: As Navotas' tahungan disappears, fisherfolk adapt to keep their way of life afloat