ABS-CBN Ends Stewardship Over La Mesa Watershed After Nearly 25 Years
As the ABS-CBN Foundation ends its nearly 25-year stewardship.
(SPOT.ph) The ABS-CBN Foundation Incorporated (AFI) is ending its stewardship over the La Mesa Nature Reserve and La Mesa Ecopark after nearly 25 years. Management will be turned over to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on February 15.
Also read: 10 Green Spaces in Metro Manila for a Quick Escape
ABS-CBN Foundation Incorporated ends stewardship over La Mesa Watershed
Both the reserve and the ecopark will be temporarily closed to the public starting Monday, February 12, in light of the turnover. "All affected staff will receive severance packages to support them," said the foundation in a statement on February 8. No timeline yet as to when the public spaces will reopen.
La Mesa Ecopark, one of the few green spaces in Quezon City where people can go to run, bike, or hike, will be turned over to MWSS' corporate office and local government. Meanwhile, the nature reserve will be managed by the MWSS' corporate office and concessionaires, according to MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas.
Also read: This Pet-Friendly Outdoor Café Is Right by the La Mesa Dam Reserve
"AFI expresses our heartfelt gratitude to our employees, partners, donors, and supporters for their valuable contributions and support in restoring and sustaining the La Mesa Watershed for almost 25 years," said the foundation in a statement on February 8.
How did ABS-CBN stewardship over the La Mesa Watershed begin?
The movement to save the La Mesa Watershed began under the direction of the late environmentalist and philanthropist Gina Lopez. As the daughter of Eugenio and Chita Lopez, she developed Bantay Kalikasan in 1999 as the environmental arm of the ABS-CBN foundation. As a sidenote, she is also behind the Bantay Bata 163 program.
Throughout the early 2000's, Bantay Kalikasan worked to reforest the 2,700-hectare La Mesa Watershed, which supplies Metro Manila with water, and develop the 32-hectare La Mesa Dam Ecopark for the public. A movement to rename the ecopark to Gina Lopez Ecopark was even pushed in 2019 upon her passing.