Manila mayor to expand Arroceros Forest Park
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 09:30:47 +0000
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Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso bared his proposal on Tuesday to expand the Arroceros Forest Park, the capital’s last forested area, as he plans to transform Manila into a “green city.”
The Manila chief showed his five-park corridor masterplan to the Save Arroceros group during a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday morning.
The Arroceros Forest Park is a 2.2-hectare lot where a gym was supposed to be built for Manila universities.
Domagoso said he would close streets at the corner of the Quezon footbridge to have more space “that can be converted into green space.”
“I will withdraw a portion of Arroceros Street at the corner of the Metropolitan Theater and the footbridge of Quezon Bridge for public use. After converting it for public use, we will extend Arroceros Park to make it more public,” Domagoso told to environmentalists.
“We are going to create an esplanade at the back of Arroceros and we will plant more trees,” he added as he sought the help of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and the City Public Works and Highways Department.
Domagoso said that he would also demolish the gates enclosed in the Arroceros Park.
“I’ve always believed in an open park. Ang park hindi naka-preso,” he said.
Arroceros Park is home to some 3,000 species of birds and trees, developed in 1993, but was closed to the public after portions of the area was occupied by informal settlers.
“It’s unfair for the people of Manila and others who want to visit the park. Just because of the negligence of the government, we refuse to give the comfortable access to the public,” he said.
“The solution is not to gate it but to send out security and enough people to maintain and sustain the purpose of the park,” he added.
The mayor said he has rejected proposals for the construction of the gym. However, he would not demolish the Department of Education office in the Arroceros compound.
“Don’t ask for things you do not know how to solve,” the Mayor said when asked by environmental groups about the demolition of the DepEd office.
“If you have a property where they can transfer then I can build a new building and relocate them there. In the meantime, we have to live in harmony in the area,” he said.
“You have to be careful in what you ask. I don’t like animosity,” he added.
On the other hand, Domagoso also told the group that he would convert specific roads around the park for the expansion project.
He said the Lawton area, would be converted into a green civic center so that Manileños would have more open spaces.
The other 46 parks of the country’s capital and other institutional buildings owned by the city government are expected to follow the greening project, he said, without giving specific details.
The pavement near the Bonifacio monument would also be removed and replaced with trees, he added.
Domagoso said they have yet to decide on a budget and target date for their plans since they are all still proposals.
“If your concern is clean air, you are with the right government. This is important because the future children of Manila will inherit this,” the Mayor said. (Erma Edera)