Mangrove Planting Project Vol. 7 (Aired July 18, 2025) 〜 To the Forefront of Mangrove Research Established on Cebu Island

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

In the “Mangrove Planting Project” segment, the program’s MC, Charlie Otani, travels to the Philippines to report on the mangroves there and the 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 an initiative to plant mangroves!

Here is a look at the seventh Mangrove Planting Project, broadcast on July 18, 2025.

The site on Olango Island where mangroves were first planted

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

The information presented is current as of the article’s publication in August 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.

Mangrove Planting Project

FM Kurashiki’s Mangrove Planting Project.

To help 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 the Philippines’ Olango Island (as of 2025).

We also took part in planting mangroves, and returned to Cebu Island after finishing our reporting on Olango Island.

Our first stop on Cebu Island was a research laboratory specializing in mangroves, located in part of an office building. We were told that this is an innovative facility established to test collected mangrove samples on-site while they are still fresh.

Let’s find out more about the research being conducted there.

A new base on Cebu Island for research using fresh samples

We visited KPG Laboratory.

Before this laboratory was established, facilities for studying mangrove leaf and stem samples in the Philippines and nearby areas were limited to Singapore and Japan. However, when conducting research abroad, samples had to be transported through quarantine, a process that took about one week to one month, making it extremely difficult to keep them fresh.

Tessei

Since the laboratory was established in the Philippines, a system has been put in place to test samples within about an hour of collection. The fresher the samples, the more accurate the measurements, so the data collected here is also planned to be shared outside the Philippines.

The laboratory’s initial goal was to deepen understanding of mangrove ecology by researching “the kinds of environments in which mangroves thrive.”

Plants, including mangroves, produce hydrogen peroxide when they experience stress. By measuring the amount of hydrogen peroxide, researchers can determine the stress affecting a plant and consider measures to reduce it—in other words, identify conditions that make it easier for mangroves to grow.

We spoke with Abner, a mangrove researcher who earned his doctorate through research measuring this stress.

Mangrove research newly established in the Philippines

Mangrove researcher Abner (right) and Onodera (left), who translated for us

At this laboratory, Abner is working on research to understand environmental stress in mangroves and research into how much carbon dioxide (CO2) mangroves absorb.

We asked Abner to explain exactly how he studies stress in mangroves.

First, he prepares freshly collected mangrove leaves. After grinding the leaves, he puts them into test tubes and uses centrifugal force to separate the liquid from the solids. By shining light on them, he analyzes the chemical compounds in the leaves and, we were told, scientifically identifies the main causes of external stress.

Researching the causes of stress is very important to ensure that mangroves can grow without stress.

The laboratory as a whole is also conducting “research into the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by planted mangroves,” which is said to be a world-first initiative.

Although the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by mangroves has been studied in various countries, this is the first time mangroves planted by people have been studied, making it a unique project by KPG Laboratory.

KPG Laboratory is also unique in studying the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by mangrove roots.

Mangroves absorb about five times as much carbon dioxide as other plants.

So far, 15 million mangroves have been planted in the Philippines. How much carbon dioxide are they actually absorbing, and how are they helping clean the planet? KPG Laboratory is a place where we can discover ways to give back to nature.

Perhaps a new discovery that changes the world will emerge from this small laboratory. The Mangrove Planting Project is a grand initiative that continues to protect the future of the local community and the planet.

From the Writer

FM Kurashiki participates in the United Nations’ SDG Media Compact, and works 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 each guest on “Weekly Kurashiki Happy Radio” who arrives by car, one tree is planted per car.

Also, for every 500-yen button badge purchased, one tree is planted. As of February 2025, 80 badges had been purchased!

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