Napocor opens rainforest park

NORZAGARAY, Philippines – The National Power Corp. (Napocor) inaugurated on Dec. 17 the Angat Rainforest and Ecological Park (AREP) in Bulacan.

The park will showcase the dipterocarp forest that dominates the watershed, the variety of wildlife that resides in it and the reservoir famous for its huge tilapia and eel. These will be introduced through the park’s attractions like the View Deck, Ecological Center and Tarictic Fun Trail.

Bro. Martin Francisco of the Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society Inc. welcomed Napocor’s initiative and hopes that the project could help in preventing illegal activities within the Angat watershed and provide alternative livelihood to the Dumagats, an indigenous people in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range where the watershed is located.

Ma. Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita, Napocor’s president, explained that “Angat is considered a biodiversity hotspot and so the Angat Rainforest and Ecological Park will be a perfect learning avenue for environmental education and awareness.” 

Angat watershed is home to 290 endemic species of known non-woody and woody plants like bagtikan, tanguile and yakal that have disappeared in other forests in the country. There are also 66 species of vertebrates in the watershed and 43 species of birds that makes it a favorite destination of bird watchers. Two of the most visible birds here are the Tarictic Hornbill or Kalao (Penolopides panini manillae) and the Rufous Hornbill (Buceros hydrocopax).

Sta. Rita said that the park will also help the corporation raise awareness among tourists on the importance of preserving and protecting the watershed that affects millions of people residing in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“Aside from the rich flora and fauna in Angat, we know that it is also a multi-purpose facility that serves as flood control, a natural buffer zone against calamity, and source of water for irrigation of the agricultural land in Bulacan and Pampanga, for domestic water supply of Metro Manila and for power generation,” Sta. Rita added.

Regarding the indigenous people inside the watershed, Napocor’s Watershed Management chief Emmanuel Umali said “the Dumagats can be the park’s tour guides; they can demonstrate their skills in basket weaving using raw materials like buho and rattan or they can teach visitors their traditional methods in catching fish.”

Umali added that more attractions will be added to the park like the Angat Museum of Natural History, Dumagat Cultural Heritage Site, Seedling Propagation, Rattan Gene Bank and Bambusetum, and Trading Post/Souvenir shop.