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MANILA, Philippines – With quarantine measures eased, Metro Manila residents should be able to enjoy public parks as long as they follow health and safety guidelines, an environmental group said Tuesday.
The Nilad Metro Manila Environmental Network said dozens of people who flocked to Manila Bay’s man-made white sand beach last month indicated a demand for open space, after more than seven months of being trapped in their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Allowing people to spend time in parks, even for a short period each day, increases awareness of the importance of preserving and expanding green spaces. Hopefully, it can also inspire legislators and urban planners to develop more parks in communities, ”the group said.
“This is not simply for recreation, but a health measure to promote the physical and mental well-being of people,” he added, emphasizing that public green spaces should be reopened while maintaining safety and health measures.
“With the prioritization of our health system caused by the global pandemic, the need to carry out a plan to protect and conserve our green spaces must also be seen as a path towards the recovery and complete mitigation of communicable and non-communicable diseases” , the group said.
“The shopping centers and churches are already open. Why not continue with the opening of major parks and allow people to enjoy the health benefits of using the open space for physical and mental exercise? “he added.
Recent data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed that only 12,152.79 hectares of Metro Manila’s total land area of 55,922.22 hectares, or only 21 percent, was allocated to green space.
The capital city of Manila represented one of the largest deficits, with only 140.4 ha of green space in an area of more than 3,800 ha.
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