An eco-friendly and urban biodiversity park is set to be constructed in Quezon City following the memorandum of agreement signed by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with the Quezon City government and the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).

Acting DENR Secretary Jim O. Sampulna said the proposed Gabay Kalikasan Park will be developed in New Manila in Quezon City and will serve as a pilot-test of the “adopt-a-city” approach in implementing the Urban Biodiversity Program (UBP) which is aimed at encouraging the business sector’s support in creating green urban communities at the city and barangay or village level.

“While our focus is largely directed at managing natural ecosystems through the establishment of protected areas, we also need to address the importance of enhancing our urban ecosystems to be able to provide a quality and livable environment for urban dwellers,” Sampulna said.

Sampulna said the park also seeks to increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation of local communities and other stakeholders on the importance of urban biodiversity and green spaces, and encourage individual actions on urban greening.

Natividad Y. Bernardino, director of the DENR-Biodiversity and Management Bureau, said Filipinos can visualize the city landscape with living rivers, streams, lakes, coastal areas, swamps, urban forest parks, and green highways for wildlife through the DENR’s Urban Biodiversity Program.

“Let us anticipate with enthusiasm the full-bodied implementation of the as the DENR and the Department of the Interior and Local Government firm up a new policy on urban biodiversity as part of the Seal of Good Local Governance,” Bernardino said.

Implemented in 2017, the UBP aims to promote the conservation of biodiversity, develop and maintain green spaces within cities to provide benefits through ecosystem services to Filipinos.

Sampulna envisions an increase in the proportion of green spaces in the country’s five largest cities—Quezon City, Cebu, Davao, Caloocan, and Manila—by at least 5 percent under the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan for 2015-2028.