Mangrove Reforestation Project Vol. 6 (Broadcast May 30, 2025)～ To the Island’s Only Clinic, Protecting the Health of Many Islanders

“Weekly Kurashiki Happy Radio” airs every Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

In the “Mangrove Planting Project” segment, the program’s MC, Charlie Otani, travels to the Philippines to report on the local mangroves and planting efforts.

With the support of kanepackage Inc., and under the guidance of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources, FM Kurashiki has launched a mangrove-planting initiative!

Here is a look at the sixth Mangrove Planting Project, broadcast on May 30, 2025.

This article was contributed by FM Kurashiki Co., Ltd. The editorial team at Haretoco General Incorporated Association edited and published it.

The information presented was current when the article was published in June 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.

Mangrove Planting Project

FM Kurashiki’s Mangrove Planting Project.

To prevent the decline of mangroves, which play an important role in protecting coastlines and maintaining ecosystems, we are working in partnership with kanepackage Inc..

Approximately 15 million mangroves have been planted on Olango Island in the Philippines (as of 2025).

The cooperation of local residents is essential to planting so many mangroves.

In the past, Olango Island had no medical facilities, and the only option was to travel to a hospital on a nearby island for treatment. Today, however, a clinic has been established on the island, protecting the lives and health of many island residents, especially children. We visited the clinic and childcare facility that came about through the planting project.

Donations for a Life-Saving Clinic

We visited the SAN VICENTE HEALTH CENTER in the San Vicente district.

This is the only medical facility on Olango Island, donated by kanepackage Inc., which carries out mangrove planting. Tessei told us how the clinic came to be.

Tessei

The idea of community healthcare came up during the COVID-19 pandemic. People on Olango Island also lost their jobs during the pandemic, so we launched a project to “make organic soap using natural materials from Olango Island.” The soap we made was used at resort hotels in Cebu and elsewhere, and we supported the community so people could earn a living.

As we worked on the organic soap project, local residents raised concerns about community healthcare, saying, “There’s no hospital on the island, so if we get sick, we have to go to a hospital on another island” and “We can’t afford to go to the hospital.” In response, we renovated and rebuilt an old building next to the soap-making base, and decided to donate a clinic there.

Doctors come to San Vicente Health Center several times a week. The facility is equipped for basic examinations, including blood and urine tests, making it possible to prevent serious illnesses through early diagnosis.

There have been many cases of people whose lives were saved thanks to the establishment of San Vicente Health Center. A 10-year-old boy with severe cataracts and a 1-year-old boy with a large tumor on his knee were both able to receive surgery after being properly examined on the island. Even when people cannot afford surgery, the clinic connects them with hospitals where they can receive it free of charge through government assistance.

The only clinic on Olango Island, established through the project. We hope to continue supporting community healthcare that meets the needs of island residents.

Establishing a Nursery to Nurture the Future

Next, we visited the first nursery in the San Vicente district. When we arrived, the children warmly welcomed us.

Until then, there had been no nursery in the San Vicente district, and many people reportedly found it difficult to go out to work because they had to look after their children.

So, working with someone who provided the site, kanepackage built a new childcare facility.

Tessei

At first, there were only a dozen or so children, but people on the island were delighted that “there’s now a place where we can leave our children!” and kept bringing them in. Thanks to them, more than 70 children now come here.

The children play and study at the nursery, and seeing all their smiles makes me feel glad we built it.

We often go and greet them, saying, “When you grow up, come work for our company (kanepackage)!”

Apparently, the children who were there when we visited had stayed behind to wait for us to arrive.

Surrounded by the bright smiles of the children, we left the nursery.

We were reminded that community healthcare and childcare support are essential to daily life. To protect nature for generations to come, we also need to continue safeguarding the safe lives of local residents.

From the Writer

FM Kurashiki participates in the United Nations’ “SDG Media Compact,” and is working to promote the Sustainable Development Goals by clarifying the connections between its programs and the 17 SDGs.

The Mangrove Planting Project is also part of a program based on the SDG Media Compact, and is still ongoing.

For every guest on “Weekly Kurashiki Happy Radio” who arrives by car, we plant one tree per car.

We also plant one tree for every 500-yen button badge purchased. As of February 2025, 80 badges had been purchased!

We will continue to provide information that is useful to everyone in the community.