THE La Mesa Ecopark is a 33-hectare site located right outside the natural boundaries of the watershed and 40 meters below the reservoir. It was in 2004 when it was reopened to the public—after most of the 1,500 informal settlers there had been relocated, which cost the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) several million pesos.
The ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) claims that all income generated by the ecopark is used for the continuous preservation and protection of the watershed.
In fairness to the AFI, it has, indeed, put the La Mesa watershed back on the map as a hub for leisure and fun by providing healthful outdoor recreation and a “true forest experience” to its visitors.
Today it is now a popular destination for photo shoots, family outings and picnics, and educational field trips. Its visitor traffic is steadily rising every year. In 2005 it recorded 155,666 visitors and nearly doubled that figure in 2006.
Among its attractions are a saltwater swimming pool and a couple of freshwater pools; a fishing area that yields tilapia, catfish and carp; horseback-riding; a butterfly haven; biking; an adventure zone with a zipline, bow and arrow, paintball and bungee-jumping facilities; a Superferry Boating Lagoon; and 5 hectares of picnic grounds, with grilling facilities under the canopy of trees.
The abovementioned attractions are the commendable accomplishments of the AFI. As I’ve said, La Mesa is becoming more popular each day. But it has also put to rest all the issues raised against it, not only by the Commission on Audit (COA) (on the park’s less-than-transparent financial operations) and the MWSS itself, which, to this day, is waiting for its share of the revenues from the park’s operations.
As the COA has pointed out, the AFI has not been issuing financial statements since it began managing the park. And how true is the rumor that no receipts are being issued from the entrance and from each recreational facility?
The AFI charges P50 at the entrance for nonresidents of Quezon City and P40 for residents. For the amenities, it charges P80 for swimming, P60 for biking, P50 for horseback-riding, P200 for the single zipline experience and P350 each for the paintball war games, etc.
I went out of my way to get Gina Lopez’s side of the story on the adverse COA report. Mind you, I never met her in person before.
When I finally got her cell-phone number, her response was both pleasant and gracious. But when my questions came to the hard part—on why the AFI is unilaterally collecting its 15 percent (of the gross income) without the MWSS board of trustees’ approval, she suddenly went ballistic.
She said the questions I’ve been asking were the same “nitpicking” ones that hacks had asked her a year ago.
“Why don’t you look at the bigger picture—we’re saving a lot of people from poverty and trying to make the air you breathe a lot cleaner, but you insist on nitpicking! Who hired you to ask me these questions? The mining companies?”
Flabbergasted, I could only say I was merely repeating the questions raised by the COA auditors. I also told her that it was my duty as a journalist to get her side, but since she had responded in such a nasty way, I was unilaterally terminating the interview. But I didn’t say with extreme prejudice.
Minutes later, however, she sent me the following text message: “Hi Butch…sorry, the questions you asked are just so similar to issues raised last year. I really have a reaction to nitpicking, instead of looking at the bigger picture. If you want to know the numbers I will send you the number of our finance and admin person. Stay well…hope you can visit the ecopark and the watershed one day. It’s really a work of love and giving….”
Still, in all, I believe all the questions raised by the COA have to be properly answered.
E-mail: omerta_bdc@yahoo.com.
6 comments
Dapat lang! She should answer for how the finances were handled. It was also true that no OR was issued the last time I was there. It was just a small piece of paper that they had.
An accounting has to be done since this is still a government property. Moreso since the govt (MWSS and QC govt) were supposed to get a share of the income.
Just because they have “good intention” doesn’t exempt them from the law. Ano yan? DAP?
Oh, wow! Talk about defensive. Try to gather the facts, and right away your an agent of Big Mining. This is typical of the unthinking person who doesn’t bother to respond with facts but with emotion and paranoia. Makes one wonder of her management style at AFI.
This should ultimately discredit Lopez and her cabal of pseudo environmentalists.
“Who hired you to ask me these questions? The mining companies?” What the -? Where did that come from? What does this have to do with mining? Ol’ scrambled brains here is seeing enemies everywhere. And how is this nitpicking? Her kneejerk response is: What does it matter if everything is mismanaged if we’re cleaning the environment? At the very least she is out of touch with the issues facing her group, leaving it to her minions to field.
Trust issues over AFI. Looks like Gina Lopez have a lot of explaining to do.
she’s just being herself.. hacendera going ballistic with uncalled for rants and who thinks she can never go wrong….