QUEZON CITY, Feb. 28 (PIA) -- The former eyesore and shunned area to motorists traversing the South Luzon Expressway and local residents under the Alabang Viaduct has been converted into a blooming open space featuring native flora and fauna design.
Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi led the inauguration ceremony of Phase 1 of the Development of Alabang Viaduct, an initiative of the National Government through its “Green, Green, Green” program recently.
Fresnedi thanked the Department of Budget Management for selecting Muntinlupa as one of the recipients of the “green fund” amounting to P17.29 million. The local exec said the beautification of the area is a welcome development to the city’s green space and park improvement efforts.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) launched the “Green, Green, Green” program which aims to make the country’s 145 cities more livable and sustainable through the development of public open spaces.
The newly constructed open space in Alabang Viaduct showcases an iconic sculpture resembling a water lily which is commonly seen near the shore of Laguna de Bay and local tributaries that empty to the lake.
Muntinlupa City Architect Don Causapin, designer of the architectural and interior design of the urban space, said the park’s centerpiece symbolizes Muntinlupa residents’ strength, resourcefulness, and perseverance as water lilies are characterized as resilient plants and able to thrive and bloom no matter the extreme conditions.
Causapin hopes that the open space will uplift the spirit of the residents who will visit the area as they find beauty in the elements found within their hometown.
The opening of the open space in Alabang Viaduct is part of city’s celebration of its 26th Cityhood Anniversary on March 1.
Muntinlupa City is among local government units in the country championing sustainability and building of open spaces as part of climate change mitigation.
In 2020, Muntinlupa represented the country as of the finalists in the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC). The WWF-OPCC is a global competition that recognizes cities with effective climate change action plans. One to three cities per participating country are chosen as finalists.
WWF lauded the city’s action plan to combat the urban heat island effect. The organization highlights the city’s holistic approach towards sustainability including gardening initiatives, first aid trainings to equip city employees in assisting the public during particularly hot periods, climate responsive agriculture training for urban farmers, aquaponics, vertical farming, mulching and mushroom culture.
Muntinlupa also served as one of the country’s representatives in the WWF’s We Love Cities campaign, a social campaign which aims to bridge better communication between city officials and citizens they represent on climate and sustainability issues. (PIA NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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