Gimikera Is In
Your resident gimikera is here to share her expeditions in this journey called life.
In honor of Earth Day 2006, I made this feature article about an environmentally-oriented fair at National Ecology Center mini-park in Quezon City. I would have loved to stay and listen to their organic rice-wine making seminar but I still had duty that day. Anyway, I did manage to taste tahong (seafood) flavored chips from the eco-fair and they were excellent.
Here’s the original text of my feature article:
Green Haven in QC
http://news.inq7.net/metro/index.php?index=1&story_id=73845
By Jocelyn P. Dimaculangan
Picnickers and nature trippers now have another venue to add to their growing list of green havens in Quezon City. The National Ecology Center (NEC) in front of the Philippine Heart Center along East Avenue, Quezon City, boasts of a 4.5-hectare mini-park that is open to the public every day of the week free of charge.
The mini-park was officially inaugurated in June 4, 2004 and offers tree-lined walkways and picnic groves for families and couples who want to commune with nature amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. What used to be a site for informal settlers has now become a haven for indigenous and endemic species of trees such as yakal, kamagong, narra and katmon.
Visitors can come in for free and follow the eco-trail weaving in and out of the NEC mini-park, find shelter under the majestic canopy of the numerous trees in the area or take a short rest in the airy gazebo located in the compound.
With the absence of entrance fees, the NEC mini-park is maintained by the Urban Forestry Division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR). To date, only 1.5 hectares of the mini-park has been developed while the remaining 3 hectares have yet to undergo renovation.
“We plan to put up an aviary in the area…as well as build offices for the Environmental Management Bureau and the DENR-NCR,” says Division Chief Carlos Gubat I, when asked about the future plans for the NEC compound.
Established under Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), the NEC is tasked to provide consulting, information, training and networking services for the implementation of the provisions of R.A. 9003. Aside from the mini-park, the NEC compound also houses the training facilities of the Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the Philippines Foundation, Incorporated (ZWRMPFI), a non-government organization specializing in training, advocacy and consultancy for solid waste management.
Being one of the green havens of Quezon City, the NEC has been tapped as one of the venues for the simultaneous celebrations of Earth Day 2006. A two-day fair dubbed as “Samu’t Sari 2006 (An Eco-Market for Eco-Friendly Products)” was recently concluded at NEC but plans are underway to open another two-day eco-fair on April 28- 29, 2006.
Sponsored by the Alternative LyfStyle Mktg & Consultancy (AlterMktg) and ZWRMPFI, the environmentally-oriented fair showcases 30 exhibitors offering organic produce, health products and indigenous items that are proudly Philippine-made. Pinoy inventors also took centerstage as they showed off their green technologies specially designed to help Mother Nature.
Another highlight of the two-day Earth Day celebration was the book launching of a manual for non-government organizations and local government units looking for a comprehensive guide to solid waste management. Entitled “Ecological Solid Waste Management – Theory and Practices,” the book can be bought for P300 for the duration of the eco-fair.
Now on its third year of exhibiting at NEC, the eco-fair’s theme for 2006 is “Science & Technology in harmony with the environment.” Visitors can view the exhibits from
6 a.m. – 6 p.m. on April 28 – 29 as well as attend the free eco-livelihood demonstrations on soap making, virgin coconut oil making and organic rice wine making, among others.
An interesting stall to visit is the Mother Earth Hydroponics booth which showcases plants grown hydroponically or grown in a soil-less medium. Using a Nutrient Film Technique, this soil-less and pesticide-free farming technology can produce vegetables that grow at a much-faster rate compared with those planted in soil.
Yet another green technology being promoted in Samu’t Sari 2006 is the use of vermicomposting or the production of organic fertilizer using earthworms, specifically African nightcrawlers.
With earth-friendly activities such as these, the organizers of Samu’t Sari are optimistic that communing with nature and the use of green technologies become a habit among Filipinos that will continue long after the fanfare of Earth Day celebration has died down.
Life in the mountains of Sagada is a life filled with extremes. From the weather to the choice of activities to the people who inhabit this mystical land, Sagada will surprise and mesmerize you in a way that no other place can. Nestled in the navel of the Cordillera mountains, in the northwestern portion of Luzon, Sagada has been tagged as the Shangri-La of the Philippines — and for good reason. Despite the influx of the modern world in Sagada, the people of Sagada (called the Igorots) have managed to preserve centuries-old traditions and conserve man-made and natural wonders.
If you want to witness the Philippine version of snow, Sagada is a good place to go. Every once a while, ice comes falling from the azure sky — in the form of ice cubes! The more amazing thing is that this phenomenon usually occurs in the summer months, according to locals. However, on the other end of the spectrum, be prepared to be fried by the sun when you go hiking across the majestic rice terraces.
Crossing the "pilapil"
During the Holy Week, I was able to observe all sorts of people converging at Sagada. My friend Violet (the organizer of the trip. Visit her website at: http://www.nacci.coms.ph/) even said that Sagada is the new Puerto Galera of the Philippines because of the type of crowd it now attracts.
Jocie about to go deep inside Sumaging cave 
When it comes to activities, your options range from the most peaceful to the most strenuous — reflecting on a deserted hill to spelunking inside Sumaging cave (Highly recommended although it is very, very physically challenging).
Sagada is a good place to cleanse yourself — both mind and body. Cleanse your mind of worries amidst the majestic beauty of God’s handiwork and cleanse your body by going on a detoxifying diet by gorging on veggies and breathing the fresh mountain air. The vegetables grown in Sagada are among the freshest I’ve tasted and even the fish is surprisingly good.
If you’re craving for more "modern" forms of entertainment, Baguio is just one bus ride and seven hours away. =)
Whether you are breathless from the long, grueling trek to some far-off tourist spot or whether you encounter a marvelous view that simply takes your breath away, Sagada is a land filled with extreme serenity and strenuous activities all at the same time.
Three things though: Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints and Kill nothing but time.
See you in Sagada!
Take a peek into some of the pictures I took during this wonderful four-day hiatus from city life:
For pictures of the Sagada picture party at Glorietta 4, here’s the URL:
www.shortenurl.com/pictureparty
For more information about this fascinating province, you can check out this link: http://www.globalpinoy.com/travel/hotspot_archive/sagada.php
Here’s how to liven things up in the office. Warning: Use at your own risk.
Here’s a bonus for you:
If a train station is where a train stops and a bus station is where the bus stops…what do you call a work station?
