| 10.24.2018 – When you live in the city you’d still expect the place with would still maintain to have national parks and wildlife. But in the central part of the Philippines pertaining to Metro Manila that seems not the normal perspective as high rise buildings and malls have become sort that commonality.
But there is still hope in some parts of the metro that not only landmarks are being preserved. There is also the Arroceros Forest Park, dubbed “The Last Lung of Manila,” which has become a trend to recently due to its rumours that it will be removed in its place a commercial facility. Would you rather lose what’s left of a small forest in the city for another concrete building? Can anyone #SaveArroceros? |
Arroceros Forest Park has been developed by the City government of Manila after purchasing a part of land from Landbank of the Philippines in 1993. This place is sort of a paradise for its unique development, which is a 2.2-hectare (5.4-acre) urban forest on the south bank of the Pasig River, at the foot of Quezon Bridge, consists of secondary growth forest with 61 different tree varieties and 8,000 ornamental plants providing a habitat for 10 different bird species. Despite its small size, it is considered an important feature of the city.
Jungle in the City
The park allows free entry you just need to sign in the log book at the guard house. The assigned gatekeeper would inquire what you’ll be doing there. They are particularly strict conducting unauthorized photo shoots and gathering there. There are no fees for organizing these activities you just have to compose a letter of intent what you’ll be doing inside the park as there are set of rules when you roam around the park.
When you enter the premises you’ll notice the education building that occupied your right side perspective that wasn’t originally there 18 years ago that became controversial for being built inside the park. The Department and Education or DepEd’s assigned caretaker is based there. Its where you send the letter of intent to get permit if you plan to organize a photo shoot, photo walk or group gatherings.
In the past year the park has been slowly decaying with minimal management on the manmade pond that has a little bridge that crosses it. The experience just sitting there and admiring the nature inside this veritable jungle gives you a little peace and connection to what has become rare in other sort of parks. The ones in Makati is not organically a park in nature unlike Arroceros and the beauty of it is the view of Pasig River even though the aesthetics when it comes to its perspective is not it used to be based on the elders who have seen how different Manila was.
Preserving the Future
The future is not made of Malls or condominiums it is made of greenery. The Arroceros Forest Park is what considered the last nature park within the city of Manila or even the National Capital Region. The parks in Makati are not considered natural but artificial. They could have developed that place without going overboard with too many concrete pathways, but with a lot of greenery.
Arroceros Park has the right balance with their concrete pathways and A LOT OF TREES. Though bringing pets to the park is currently prohibited they have a roaming dog named “Uno” wearing his ‘campus identification’ from DepEd. The park is slowly decaying if not taken care of and better managed by the current caretakers. In Australia, particularly South Australia nature parks are well maintained and the city of Adelaide is very strict about not letting it go uncared for the reason why that place have better government that really manage its urban culture well.
For the Philippines in particularly the city of Manila should take responsibility of its management and not go to waste. But obviously the current government does not care for its tradition for the reason the Philippines is being viewed as a country with a throwaway culture that spends in the now than investing in the future, which leads to a very dark path for future generations not having that tradition preserved.
Saving the Nature
There has been sparks of activism for most people who have visited the park. May be besides the support online why not visit the place whenever you have the time to do so. If there are regular visitors in this place this would show the amount of support that the park needs to be kept. Supporting the cause to save the park online is not enough to showing your support in visiting it.
The Arroceros Forest Park would be considered endangered species if it was an animal like the White Northern Rhino or the Spix Blue McCaw, which recently reported as considered extinct. Let’s hope it does not happen to Arroceros Forest Park, there’s a signature campaign that was launched online that is closely inching its way to the 35,000 goal, and as of today the current number is as 32,661 supporters.
To support and sign the petition to #SaveArroceros forest park you find the link HERE!
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