Ney Cortez of MMPH Shares the Essential Role of Youth Empowerment and Community Engagement in The Southeast Asian Exchange.
- Mangrove Matters PH
- 9 hours ago
- 1 min read
“I will not sugarcoat the serious problems faced by mangroves in our country.” The line dropped by Ney when asked about the risks faced by these coastal wetlands.
Ney Cortez, Science Communication Lead of Mangrove Matters PH, shares her insights as a speaker during the panel organized by The Southeast Asian Exchange last January 31, 2026. Ney emphasized the serious threats to mangroves, including reclamation, unscientific coastal development, improper planting, and others. In addition, the panel was an avenue to showcase the works of Mangrove Matters PH and Neymatophores, such as the Mangroves for Kids, in promoting mangrove awareness through education, active engagement, and local community collaboration
“Local knowledge is as important as scientific knowledge.” Ney enlivened this statement when asked about the role of citizen science, sharing her experiences of local fisherfolk who are knowledgeable about the locations and features of specific mangrove plants.
The discussion is titled, “ Ecological Backbone: Policy, Practice, and Potential of Southeast Asia’s Wetlands”, where youth aged 15-18 years from Southeast Asia learn from the five speakers on the essential role of technology, finance, and policy, and youth empowerment in conserving the wetlands in the SEA region.
The Southeast Asian Exchange is an organization founded by Southeast Asian students at Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and Duke that aims to promote cross-country dialogue in the SEA region. The discussion is part of a series of academic panels designed for high school-aged youth in Southeast Asia, from January to April.
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