If your idea of a perfect vacation spot is a stretch of powder-white sand beach, with a few coconut trees swaying in a breeze, think again. This postcard-pretty coastal area, our idea of a romantic tropical paradise, is a "vulnerable" palm beach because it is stripped of its mangroves, other beach trees, and vegetation that protect it from storm surges and deadly tsunami. A greenbelt of mangroves and beach trees could mitigate the impact of the 15-meter waves, said Jurgenne Honculada Primavera, an expert on mangroves at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan town, Iloilo.

Labiste, M. D. (2005, January 8). Mangroves protect coastal areas from tidal waves, says scientist. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A9.