Metro Manila suffers from a dearth of public parks, so it’s imperative that we preserve the few that do exist. Arroceros Forest Park is one such haven in the City of Manila. It’s a place of historic, cultural, scientific, and ecological value that is well loved by the city’s residents, who are constantly fighting to keep it from getting turned into a gym or commercial development.

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IMAGE: Stephanie Azarias for Wikicommons





Winner Foundation, Manila Doctors Hospital, and Bahay Tuluyan have drafted a proposal for a local ordinance that will designate Arroceros as a permanent tree park. Under the local ordinance, the city government will be tasked with “appropriating funds for the conservation, protection, and management of Arroceros Tree Park.” The ordinance will also prohibit acts such as “hunting, destroying, [or] disturbing” plants or animals within the park, and will impose penalties on those who violate the park rules.



The petition needs at least 1,000 signatures from registered Manila voters by around August 20, 2018. If you’re from Manila or know people who are, contact Winner Foundation president Chiqui Mabanta at [email protected] to request a copy of the petition, local ordinance proposal, and signature sheets.



You can drop off signed sheets at the CSR office of Manila Doctors Hospital, or leave them with the cashier of Corner Tree Cafe at 150 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati.

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