COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS' KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF THE ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC USES OF MANGROVES IN CALATAGAN, BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES

Mangrove forests are a complex assemblage of flora that plays significant roles in the sustainability of human and environmental well-being for numerous reasons. However, a lot of mangrove forests have been converted for other purposes and uses in the past years. Limited knowledge about unsustainable aquaculture, coastal infrastructure, urban development, pollution, and overexploitation of mangrove timber resources has led to the loss of mangroves globally. Thus, to address these challenges regarding the insufficiency of mangrove and conservation-related knowledge and awareness, this study was conducted to identify the community stakeholders' knowledge and awareness as regards the ecological and socio- economic uses of mangroves in the fringing mangrove forest in Barangay Kilitisan, Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines. The study employed the mixed method of research and the purposive sampling technique with the interview, focused group discussion (FGD), and survey questionnaire as the data gathering instruments. The respondents of the study include 20 fisherfolks who served as key informants purposively chosen from the barangay. The findings of the study revealed that the stakeholder's knowledge of mangrove taxonomy and biology was evident. They have moderate ecological and socio-economic awareness as regards the uses of mangroves. There is a significant difference in the level of awareness according to sex while no significant difference was noted in terms of educational attainment and monthly income; extension projects and activities may be recommended to scale up sustainability initiatives of the mangrove forest in Barangay Kilitisan, Calatagan, Batangas and calls for collaboration among the local government officials and stakeholders in redefining and strengthening the sustainability initiatives for the fringing mangrove forest to preserve ecological balance and to reduce the ongoing deterioration of other associated marine resources.