Home Owners Association Leaders of Brgy. Tumana in Marikina City signed a Covenant of Commitment to adopt an estero and a plant during the recent Bayanihan Para sa Kalikasan in Marikina City spearheaded by ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. – Bantay Kalikasan.

The event is part of a series of activities that follows Bantay Kalikasan’s current project in Marikina City – the development of a 700 – meter linear park in Tumana-Malanday Creek or also known as Palay Creek. Bantay Kalikasan partnered with Sun Life Foundation, Marikina City LGU, Arco Group, and Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission to make the project possible.

Aside from developing the linear park, solid waste management programs, livelihood opportunities, and community empowerment are also part of the project components.

As a community, the HOA commits to do the following to maintain the linear park and the estero:   1) Regularly water the plants and trees along the park, 2) Help in maintaining the cleanliness of their city through cleaning their own areas and encouraging others not to litter, 3) Properly take care of the projects of the LGU and the private sectors, 5) Help in dissemination of the City’s ordinances, and 6) Teach their families and fellow home owners how to properly manage house wastes. 

“Our eight HOAs will take care of preserving the 700 – meter linear park. Each of them will have a portion to take care of,” Melvic Cabasag, Bantay Kalikasan’s site specialist, explained. 

Tumana HOA Leaders sign the Covenant of Commitment

Aside from the signing of Covenant of Commitment, 450 participants from Concepcion Integrated School, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina, Marikina LGU, Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, and Sun Life Foundation, also joined the Bayanihan para sa Kalikasan activities which include planting along the linear park, clean – up activity, and throwing of Bokashi Balls along the estero.

Bokashi Balls production, a technology that came from Japan, uses beneficial micro-organisms to break down toxins. “Bokashi” is a term that means “fermented organic matter”. A piece of it with a size of a tennis ball can help neutralize 1,000 liters of toxic water.

Bokashi Balls have been proven to help clean waterways like the Estero de Santibañez in Paco, Manila, which is one of the successfully rehabilitated esteros of Bantay Kalikasan.

At a young age, Immanuel Janaban, an elementary student of Concepcion Integrated School, already found the importance of bayanihan or working together. 

“Sa tingin ko po, iyong pinakamagandang nangyari ay iyong pagkakaisa ng mga bawat taga-Marikina para sa ikabubuti ng aming barangay lalo na po iyong Tumana na kilala pong laging nagbabaha. Nakita ko pong kaya po namin iyong gawin, na kaya po naming pangalagaan ang aming barangay,” he expressed. (I believe that the best thing that happened today is the unity of Marikeños for the betterment of our barangay especially that Tumana is known as one of the barangays that is always affected by floods. I saw that by working together, we can do things and we can take care of our place.)

Students of CIS plant different ornamental along the newly developed linear park of Palay Creek

Sun Life Foundation, the main funder of the Palay Creek development project, is pleased to partner with ALKFI-BK. “Ang Sun Life Foundation kasi, ang isa sa mga pangarap namin ay makapagbigay ng pagbabago sa ating mga komunidad; community transformation. Nagpapasalamat kaming nakahanap kami ng isang partner sa Bantay Kalikasan para matupad ang pangarap na ito,” Kristine Dianne Millete, Sun Life Foundation’s Executive Director enthused. (One of Sun Life Foundation’s dreams is to transform communities. We are happy to have found a partner in Bantay Kalikasan as we achieve to improve and transform this site.)