Bantay Kalikasan (Nature Watch)

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Bantay Kalikasan was launched in July 1998 as the ABS CBN Foundation’s environmental arm, responding to problems, issues and concerns about the Philippine’s natural resources. Supported by a multi-sector network of government agencies, private institutions and non-government organizations, Bantay Kalikasan envisions a responsibly-protected and preserved environment for future generations of Filipinos to enjoy.

Among the matters Bantay Kalikasan concentrates on are: air and water pollution, proper garbage disposal / waste management, forest protection and endangered species preservation. The program achieves these goals by elevating public awareness of the problems through media and by initiating strategic projects and ensuring effective enforcement of environmental policies.
Perhaps Bantay Kalikasan’s most popular campaign has been the resuscitation of the La Mesa Watershed, a 2,700-hectare (6,672 acres) natural reserve located in the northern outskirts of Metropolitan Manila. La Mesa is the site of the filtration plant and reservoir which supplies potable water to all residents of Manila. A decade ago, nearly half of this reserve was destroyed and denuded by illegal logging and slash and burn farming. And so, not long after Bantay Kalikasan was established, reviving the La Mesa watershed became one of its major tasks.

Reforesting at an average of 180 hectares (445 acres) per year over the past 10 years, the Save the La Mesa Watershed Project has not only resuscitated eco- and biodiversity within the reserve, but it has also created a newfound appreciation and awareness for La Mesa’s bountiful beauty. Its revival improved the supply of clean water and air for the metro while also providing hundreds of employment and livelihood opportunities through its various watershed development activities.

In 2007, Bantay Kalikasan opened the doors to The La Mesa Eco Park, a 70-hectare (173 acres) recreational park just adjacent to the watershed, offering the public a wonderland of leisure and learning. The Eco Park provides visitors with a vast venue for picnics, boating and fishing, hiking and biking, sightseeing (with a butterfly trail and an orchidarium, among others), enjoyment (with a swimming pool and paintball facility), education (with an Eco Museum) and many more. It has become, perhaps, the most popular attraction for eco- and educational-tourism within range of the greater Manila area.

Aside from reviving the La Mesa watershed, Bantay Kalikasan has also been instrumental in helping clean up key localities with its community-based cleanliness and waste management campaigns like, Bantay Basura (Garbage Watch), Bantay Usok (Anti-Vehicular Smoke Belching campaign) and Bantay Baterya (Toxic Waste Watch – from automotive batteries and others).

To learn more about Bantay Kalikasan, the La Mesa Eco Park and other activities and projects in the Philippines, please visit their site www.bantaykalikasan.com

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