La Mesa Watershed in Quezon City is the primary source of drinking water of about 12 million Metro Manila residents. The property is owned by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), a government agency.
It occupies 2,700 hectares-700 hectares of which is the reservoir while the rest fills the surrounding forest. The forest is the last remaining one of its size in Metro Manila and serves as its carbon dioxide sink. La Mesa watershed, therefore, is vital to the city, not only because it is a primary source of drinking water, but also for its forest function as the lungs of Metro Manila, providing the city with clean air.
Due to lack of funds, illegal settling, poaching, and logging, La Mesa Watershed came into disrepair and ruin. In 1999, ABS¬CBN Foundation, Inc. created Bantay Kalikasan (Nature Watch) and, in partnership with the MWSS, undertook the Save La Mesa Watershed Project. The project aims to rehabilitate, reforest, preserve, and protect La Mesa Watershed. The total area that needed reforestation was 1,500 hectares. Today, eight years since the project started, only 158 hectares remain to be planted. Bantay Kalikasan’s strategy of actively involving the general public in the project, through its Adopt/Protect-A-Tree/Hectare programs, was key to its success.
To sustain the Save La Mesa Watershed Project, Bantay Kalikasan, in partnership with the MWSS and the Quezon City government, rehabilitated and renovated a 33-hectare public park located right outside the natural boundaries of the watershed and 40 meters below the reservoir. In September 2004, it was renamed La Mesa Ecopark and reopened to the public. All revenues generated by La Mesa Ecopark are utilized for the continuous preservation and protection of La Mesa Watershed.
La Mesa Ecopark envisions a better environment for our children. Our mission is to spread environmental awareness through education and advocacy. This venue provides a healthful outdoor recreation and a true forest experience. It is a living classroom and laboratory for environmental education and aims to be a center for biodiversity conservation.
In 2006, over 280 different schools from all over the country, some coming from as far as Laoag, Bohol, and Cebu, trooped to La Mesa Ecopark for their educational school field trips. Today, the park continues to be a popular destination for family outings and picnics; a healthier alternative to shopping malls. At La Mesa Ecopark, each member of the family can enjoy various outdoor activities. Just by visiting, you are already actively participating in saving La Mesa Watershed.
See you all at La Mesa Ecopark!
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Tags: drinking water, la mesa ecopark, la mesa watershed, la mesa watershed project, metro manila, nature watch, outdoor recreation