Saving the La Mesa Dam watershed
May 29, 2005 | 12:00am
The 33-hectare La Mesa Dam watershed used to be a lush old growth forest whose trees effectively caught and stored the rains brought by the normal 33 or more monsoons that hit Metro Manila each year. But years of neglect and abandon had decimated the forest substantially, thereby affecting the watershed’s capacity to catch and store rains and spilling the water to the dam. The watershed continues to be under the supervision of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
The continued encroachment of squatter families in surrounding areas and the accompanying pollution from the unregulated use of the eco-park for outings and picnics eventually took their toll on the watershed.
In recent months, the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc., through its managing director, Gina Lopez along with partners Petron, HSBC, the Quezon City government, Maynilad Water Services Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System did a major rehabilitation program for the watershed.
The Quezon City government built a new road and bridge so that those going to the eco-park need not pass through the entire watershed area, said Mayor Feliciano Belmonte.
There were other corporate sponsors during the launching, namely Aboitiz (which took care of re-designing and renovating the boating area; Ayala Museum for the arts and craft activities during the launch; the HSBC for the treeathlon and Petron for the family fun run.
The foundation adopted the watershed as one of its major environment projects in Metro Manila, it being the "last forest cover in Metro Manila," Lopez said.
"By doing this activity, we would like to teach our children to visit more natural parks instead of going to the malls most of their time. There is much to learn from nature," Lopez said.
People can now go to the La Mesa Ecopark for swimming, biking, hiking, boating and picnics. Fees are very affordable: P40 entrance fee; P60 per head for swimming at the newly renovated salted pool; and P25 per person (or P100 per boat) for boating at the lagoon.
The continued encroachment of squatter families in surrounding areas and the accompanying pollution from the unregulated use of the eco-park for outings and picnics eventually took their toll on the watershed.
In recent months, the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc., through its managing director, Gina Lopez along with partners Petron, HSBC, the Quezon City government, Maynilad Water Services Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System did a major rehabilitation program for the watershed.
The Quezon City government built a new road and bridge so that those going to the eco-park need not pass through the entire watershed area, said Mayor Feliciano Belmonte.
There were other corporate sponsors during the launching, namely Aboitiz (which took care of re-designing and renovating the boating area; Ayala Museum for the arts and craft activities during the launch; the HSBC for the treeathlon and Petron for the family fun run.
The foundation adopted the watershed as one of its major environment projects in Metro Manila, it being the "last forest cover in Metro Manila," Lopez said.
"By doing this activity, we would like to teach our children to visit more natural parks instead of going to the malls most of their time. There is much to learn from nature," Lopez said.
People can now go to the La Mesa Ecopark for swimming, biking, hiking, boating and picnics. Fees are very affordable: P40 entrance fee; P60 per head for swimming at the newly renovated salted pool; and P25 per person (or P100 per boat) for boating at the lagoon.
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