Are you one of those people who love to gaze at a vast greenery landscape or the cerulean sky?
 
It is hard not to romanticize life when nature dominates a panoramic destination.
 
From a stroll through the park to a day spent sailing on a mangrove swamp, the exposure to nature gives us a sense of relaxation and serenity.

Indeed, nature lovers will surely visit La Union as the La Union Provincial Tourism Office (LUPTO) now focuses on valuing nature, thus balancing the environment and tourism.
 
Bauang is a coastal municipality in the province dubbed the “Fruit Basket of the North” because of its fruitful grapes industry.
 
Yet as time passed, tourism of the said town evolved into one that does not only focus on developing its vineyards and calm waters.
 
In the trail of green tourism, thousands of mangroves have been cultivated and preserved over the past 10 years in the Bakawan Eco-Tourism Park.

The Bauang Bakawan Eco-Tourism Park is situated at the coastal barangays of Bauang, Pudoc and Parian Oeste and can be reached by foot or by riding any type of automobile from the national road to the said locality.
 
It has a diverse ecosystem because of the different bird and fish species that inhabit the place.
 
Convergence efforts on environmental protection
 
The park features a scenic boardwalk from the entrance to where the swamp is located that was opened last February 2023.
 
Some environmental activities are also conducted by various agencies that aim to give awareness to the public about the importance of preserving nature including tree planting activities, eco-trails, community seminars, and coastal clean-ups.
 
The destination was named Bakawan Eco-Tourism Park because of its vast plantation of bakawan (mangroves).
 
Mangroves are a kind of shrub or tree that serves as a habitat for aquatic creatures, specifically fishes that grow in the shallow waters of the coast and extend along the rivers or streams.
 
In 2012, a total of 25,000 mangrove seedlings were given to the community by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and shared with the Bauang Fishing Group Consumers Cooperative and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) community in the town.
 
Later on, it was followed by some government agencies including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippine National Police (PNP), other local governments of La Union, and even private corporations to maintain and develop the area.
 
Over the years, the mangrove plantation has expanded and now covers an area of 162.8 hectares, stretching along the barangays of Parian Oeste and Pudoc.

A barrier against calamities
 
The proliferation of mangroves is of great help to the community, particularly to the agriculture, tourism, coastline ecosystem, buffering storm surges as well as a source of livelihood for its fisher folk community.
 
“Bakawan is a very eco-friendly park. It absorbs pollution within the community. Regarding naman sa agriculture, bakawan is a home for fishes and shellfish in the area so nadedevelop nito ‘yong environment [and] at the same time, nagkakaroon ng source of income within the community. ‘Yon naman ang naitutulong nito sa province,” Ricardo Navarro, tourism operations officer of the Bauang Municipal Tourism Office, said.
 

Sustainable livelihood
 
Fishing is one of the main sources of livelihood in the locality.
 
Because of the expansion of mangrove plantations in the area, fisher folks capture different fish species that inhabit the area such as malaga, crab, bagsang, purong, balla, and angrag.
 
Moreover, the eco-tourism park is the epitome of the nature-based solution to combat disasters.
 
Barangays Pudoc and Parian Oeste are flood-prone areas in the town because they are close to the Balili River and the West Philippine Sea and the mangrove area in the town as a natural defense to mitigate the effects of flooding during typhoons and other weather disturbances.

Josephine Miranda, warden of the local nature park, expressed her gratitude because the damage in the community caused by super-typhoons, particularly flooding, was reduced due to the mangroves planting.
 
It becomes easier to maintain and conserve the mangroves because agencies work together, including the Institute of Environmental Studies in the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) to aid in the creation and promotion of various programs and activities that benefit the said destination.
 
To become a promising agri-tourism and eco-tourism site, the local government and caretakers of the eco-tourism park also do monthly assessments to maintain the cleanliness of the said destination to attract more tourists, not only from the province but also in other parts of the country.

A haven of agri-tourism
 
The Bauang Tourism Office, along with the Office of the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinators (MPDC), local government, and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) already have plans to develop more exciting adventures to be experienced in the said destination that will contribute to the betterment of tourism in the province and the environment.

The continuous development of the Bauang Bakawan Eco-Tourism Park is a contribution to the vision of La Union to become the “Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025” and to boost eco-tourism in the province after 2025.
 
Indeed, a serene and enchanting destination is the perfect place to travel with your loved ones to relax and unwind.
 
It is also perfect to witness the sky with dynamic colors caused by the sundown that envelops the locality of Bauang as the day ends.
 
Thus, it is even more alluring to know that others value and appreciate the beauty of nature because we are also a part of it. (JCR/AMB/SGR/PIA La Union)