Perceptions of coastal villagers on the non-market goods and services of mangroves in Cagayan province, Philippines

Abstract

Household survey interviews were conducted to randomly selected 280 respondents in order to understand the socio-economic profile and livelihood structures of coastal villagers, as well as to evaluate the extent of their knowledge of, awareness of, and participation in mangrove rehabilitation projects in Cagayan Province, Philippines. The perceptions of the respondents of the non-market goods and services (i.e., the indirect and non-use values) of mangroves were evaluated through the use of proxy attitudinal statements. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were fishers, which confirmed that the households depended largely on coastal resources for their livelihoods. The respondents were from low-income households, with most of them below the poverty threshold level for the province. Despite this, the respondents displayed high levels of awareness and knowledge of mangroves in the area. The results further showed that the respondents recognized the value of protecting and preserving the mangrove ecosystem; however, there was an exposition of disagreement for statements that contained the phrases “pay”, “cost”, or “money”. This result inferred that respondents were reasonably sensitive with regards to conservation when it involves monetary payment, given their socio-economic conditions. Nevertheless, the possibility that contributions could be in-kind could be explored for further studies. The information generated from this study is an input to future valuation researches in the area.