Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima has urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to immediately suspend its policy permitting the earth-balling and relocation of mangroves.
Speaking during a House budget hearing on the DENR’s proposed 2027 budget, De Lima raised urgent concerns regarding the practice amidst the worsening impacts of climate change, monsoon rains, and recent typhoons on vulnerable coastal communities.
Earth-balling involves excavating a tree with its root soil intact to form a ball before transporting it to a new location. De Lima pressed DENR officials on the basis for an October 8, 2025 memorandum that set interim rules for relocating mangroves for development projects, pointing out that the policy appeared to precede proper scientific evaluation.
“We understand that there is a technical working group (TWG) that was recently created regarding the earth-balling of mangroves. I am wondering why that memorandum was issued at all, even before consultations, or even before the creation of TWG, or a scientific study. What exactly is the survival rate?” De Lima asked during the briefing.
She expressed skepticism about the provisional nature of the directive, questioning whether it has effectively become standard operating procedure.
“All of these things should have been confirmed or verified first before allowing the issuance of this memorandum. Yes, it is considered interim operational guidance, but is it really interim, or is it now a de facto policy na mag-allow ng earth-balling of mangroves for flagship infrastructure?” she added.
In response, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna explained that the agency issued the interim measures to manage a surge in earth-balling permit applications for major public infrastructure projects, assuring lawmakers that the guidelines align with sustainable development principles.
Cuna stated that the DENR tapped the Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau, the Biodiversity Management Bureau, and the Forest Management Bureau to study transplant survival rates, with full results expected by December.
“We’re encouraged by the initial results that have been sent to us already, but for us to be able to to really extensively complete the study, we are targeting December of this year,” the DENR chief said.
De Lima pushed for transparency, citing reports of extremely low or zero survival rates for relocated mangroves, and called on the DENR to suspend or completely scrap the memorandum. Cuna committed to reassessing the policy based on ongoing developments.
The call follows De Lima’s filing of House Resolution No. 1206 in July 2026, which sought a full congressional inquiry into the policy. The resolution notes that the directive undermines international climate commitments and violates existing laws, including the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997, and Presidential Proclamation 2152 establishing mangrove forest reserves.
The Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines (GMAP) voiced support for the inquiry, highlighting scientific data showing that while young, small-diameter mangroves may withstand earth-balling, mature trees—which are most frequently affected by infrastructure projects—face low survival rates and high ecological risk during transplantation.