Baguio bamboo ecopark closed due to vandalism

By Hanah Tabios

BAGUIO CITY -- The Dept. of Tourism condemned the recent vandalism incident which led to the closure of the famed Bamboo Ecopark in St. Francis Xavier Seminary here in Liteng, Pacdal.
    The park, which has been likened to Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo in Japan, opened to tourists late last year. 

Philippine Bamboo Foundation Inc. president Edgardo Manda announced on his Facebook account the temporary closure of the tourism destination due to vandalism Monday. 

“Some visitors do not respect the place and have defaced bamboo culms (or poles) by engraving their names and relieving themselves along the pathway,” he said. 

A joint project of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation Inc. and the Diocese of Baguio, the Baguio City Public Information Office said the ecopark was an expansion of the National Greening Program to boost livelihood projects in Baguio.

It was part of the envisioned one million hectare bamboo plantation of the country’s commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to reforest 20 million hectares by 2020 in an effort to improve the environment. 

Manda said there were 26 identified pilot areas in the country for the project, including Abra and downside Mount Pulag, in Kabayan, Benguet, which undergoes assessment to identify bamboo species fit for these areas. 

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat appealed to all travelers looking to visit tourism destinations around the country that have already gradually reopened to practice responsible tourism at all times. 

“We wish to remind tourists of the important role they hold in ensuring the survival of the tourism industry amid the pandemic,” Puyat said. 

She said that the DoT will also continue working with local government units, private stakeholders, and relevant tourism in intensifying its advocacy for sustainable tourism in the country.