The La Mesa Eco park
The La Mesa Watershed and Eco-Park is a dam and an ecological reservation site
in Quezon City commissioned in 1929 in the Philippines . It is part of the Angat-Ipo-La
Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of Metro Manila. The La
Mesa Dam is an earth dam whose reservoir can hold up to 50.5 million cubic meters
occupying an area of 27 square kilometers.
La Mesa Watershed 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. La Mesa Watershed is 2700 hectares,
700 hectares of which is the reservoir and 2000 hectares of which is the surrounding
forest. This 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 because its forest functions as the lungs of
Metro Manila, providing it with clean air.
Objectives:
Center of Excellence for Environmental Conservation
Generate income to sustain the La Mesa Watershed reforestation program
Preservation of endemic Flora and Fauna
True forest experience for the Filipino family
Educational Value
Recreation
Importance
Forests act as a sponge to trap water
Cleans the air of Metro Manila – acts as carbon dioxide sink
Controls soil erosion and flooding
Controls siltation of reservoir and river systems
Wildlife sanctuary
Outdoor - Recreation - Education value
Flowers Bloom at La Mesa Eco Park
Before Bantay Kalikasan there were only 9 exotic species planted at La Mesa, now there
are 73 endemic species.
Present Problems
Maintenance of Cleanliness
Preservation of Flora and Fauna
Security of Endangered Species around the Park.
Possible Contamination of Water
Accessibility
State the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of the chosen site
Strengths:
La Mesa Eco Park has its own uniqueness that makes the place beautiful.
It offers different environmental facilities that will surely enjoy by the people who visits
the park.
La Mesa Eco Park offers different choices of tour packages that the tourists may
avail.
The people who visits the park may do some ocular and recreational activities that the
Eco Park offers. Its forest functions as the lungs of Metro Manila, providing it with clean
air.
Weaknesses
The road going inside the park is deteriorating.
They have a poor mode of transportation for walk-ins or public tourists.
Some facilities are not maintained because it was affected by the recent typhoon Ondoy.
They have no enough security in the area.
Opportunities
La Mesa Eco Park is open to donations and financial assistance from the people
who wants to.
It can be the center for biodiversity conservation.
La Mesa Eco Park can still build up another facility or garden/farm because of its big
space. More trained and educated tour guides for the tourists.
More establishments that will serve eco-friendly thing/materials.
Threats
There are establishments that served as competitors for the Eco Park.
The number of people who visits the park is declining due to the competitors like malls.
The people may choose malls instead of Eco Park because of its different facilities.
The number of squatters around the vicinity of the park is increasing that makes the place
populated.
It should have an increased access to natural and environmental resources for the local
communities .
The local people or employees who are working at the sites compound the
competitiveness of their destination as the tourists are supplied at the expense of the local
population.
The protected area especially that of dealing with the pressures of recreation and
environment will only be met effectively through the support of building partnerships
between the interested private sectors and public authorities
It should have an inspection of the other sectors in order to improve and add a particular
idea for the destination for enhancement
La Mesa Eco park/Dam is a place to conserve and protect merely 12 million Metro
Manila residents use this a the primary source of water.
The Park is a nature forest w/n the area of Metro Manila specifically in Quezon City,
people don’t have to go far places just to experience the soothing environment of a forest,
here in La Mesa people could feel the cool breeze of the air, relaxing sounds of waving
trees , the chirping of the birds and the colorful flowers that surround the whole vicinity
of the park.
