26/11/2025
๐ฅ๐ข๐ข๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐
Under the hum of Wednesdayโs early morning, the warmth of sunrise was met by the 3rd Year Civil Engineering Students of Southern Leyte State University-Main Campus (SLSU-MC) as they carried with them a shared purposeโplanting mangroves at Purok Cabatuan, Brgy. Talisay, Bontoc, Southern Leyte. The said activity served more than just a compliance; it was a living testament of how future Civil Engineers understand their responsibilities beyond blueprints and building sites.
With mud on their slippers and seedlings in their hands, the students moved with a sense of duty, knowing that each mangrove they planted would grow one day to become a barrier against erosion, storm surges, and coastal degradation.
Driven by the same objective of sustainability, the students worked side by side under the guidance and support of their instructors, especially of the head of the Civil Engineering Department, Engr. Raymart Bulagsac.
PICE President Maria Maui Aureo led the coordinating effort, turning it from a need into a planned partnership. From planning and mobilization to actual planting, she made sure that each stage demonstrated environmental responsibility and teamwork. Alongside her was the Environmental Engineering instructor, Dr. Anacleta Dagaas, who guided the students through the science behind the mangroves they were planting and the benefits they could offer to the environment.
To ensure the activity was carried out effectively and properly, the Barangay Captain of Talisay was also present, accompanied by his men who volunteered to guide and assist in the mangrove planting.
As the tide crept closer to the shore, the coastal mud became a canvas of young roots. Students fell to their knees, pressed gently at the bottom of each seedling, and stepped back to watch the green line of life they had started. Some conversed in hushed tones about the future; others took photos with muddy hands, grinning wide enough to outstretch exhaustion.
By the end of the activity, the coastline of Purok Cabatuan was no longer plain and bare. Newly planted mangroves in rows danced softly with every gentle breeze, like little guardians sprouting to grow. The students left with flopped arms and wet, muddied feet, but with a more profound sense of shared responsibility. They also took with them the thought that the engineers of the future would not only be structure builders but also protectors of the environment, giving life to where it is most needed, one mangrove at a time, and a root for life.
