The Antipolo City local government kick-started its latest sustainability and environment-friendly initiative that aims to further promote climate-change awareness among its citizens and boost the city's tourism and agriculture.
According to Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, the city government, together with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), and other government agencies and environmental groups, launched the "Isang Puso, Isang Puno Ka-Sambayanihan Program" at the Mt. Purro Nature Reserve in Barangay Calawis.
The project, spearheaded by APPEND, the first alliance of Christian microfinance non-government organizations in the Philippines, aims to reforest and develop climate resilient agriculture and communities to sustain the lives and livelihoods of the client-members’ households, member support organizations, and their communities.
The Ka-Sambayanihan project also targets to plant and grow five million trees, establish and strengthen linkages with people’s organizations, indigenous communities, local government units (LGUs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and national government agencies such as DILG, Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), and other pertinent organizations on Trees Project, sustainable livelihoods, and education on environment conservation practices.
"Ang Antipolo ang napiling maging learning hub at planting site ng programa sa bansa na may layong bumuo ng climate resilient na agrikultura at komunidad (Antipolo City has been chosen as the learning hub and planting site of the program in the country with the goal of creating a climate resilient agriculture and community)," Ynares said.
Established by Toto Malvar and his family, the Mt. Purro Nature Reserve was created after reforesting it with some 700,000 trees which had then been converted into an ecological park that has been helping the Sierra Madre mountains' native Dumagats with their vocational and livelihood needs, and livelihood for other locals living within the upland community in Purok 5.
Antipolo City government’s tourism office head Mar Bacani had previously said that the nature reserve is among the places in the city that promote eco-tourism.