By: Robin Caballero, Regional Correspondent

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan – The Malolos City government under the leadership of Mayor Christian Natividad, in partnership with Dutch engineering firm Haskoning, has launched a nature-based coastal protection project in Barangay Pamarawan to help shield the island community from flooding and shoreline erosion.

The project, supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Partners for Water and Rijkswaterstaat, uses locally sourced and environmentally friendly materials such as woven bamboo breakwaters, coconut coir and oyster bags.

The initiative is being implemented as a pilot nature-based coastal protection project, combining engineering approaches with natural processes to reduce the impact of waves, rising sea levels and land subsidence in the North Manila Bay area.

The barriers are designed to trap sediment and serve as artificial reefs. Oyster shells placed inside mesh bags and secured by bamboo frames help accumulate silt on the seabed, while also providing a surface where oysters can grow and mangroves can naturally regenerate.

Project proponents said the approach could provide a lower-carbon and potentially more cost-effective alternative to conventional concrete seawalls.

As oysters colonize the submerged structures, the barriers are expected to gradually strengthen and provide additional protection against high tides and storm surges.

The project also provides livelihood opportunities for residents, with around 80 to 90 percent of its construction workforce recruited from Pamarawan.

The Malolos City government said it aims to develop the pilot into a model that could be replicated in other coastal communities vulnerable to flooding and erosion in Bulacan.