Taguig transforms dumps into parks

Taguig City is transforming dumps into parks to serve as “hangouts,” officials said yesterday.

“We are creating a place where every (resident) and visitor – regardless of their social status – can enjoy themselves, with the company of their families or friends,” said Maria Anabelle Santos, officer-incharge of the city’s manpower training center.

The Taguig Lakefront Community (TLC) Park and the Taguig Integrated Urban Farm, both located in Barangay Lower Bicutan, were once lots filled with garbage.

“We’ve always wanted to stay true to our ‘probinsiyudad’ principle, striking a balance between modernization and tradition, advancement and the environment, urban and rural,” Mayor Laarni Cayetano said.

The TLC Park offers train rides for toddlers and space for traditional games, cycling and film showings.

Park personnel hold classes in basic literacy and good manners as well as singing and dancing lessons.

The 2,500-square meter urban farm, launched in December 2017, showcases vertical farming and wooden rack and pole gardening.

It has a coffee shop and an orchidarium surrounded with fruit-bearing trees and vegetables.

The harvest goes to the city government’s feeding programs and to institutions like Bahay Pag-asa, which houses children in conflict with the law, and jails, said Emelita Solis, officer-in-charge of the city agriculture office.

“You can turn neglected spaces into places of engagement or showcases of livability. You can carve out in-city spaces so you can take people’s minds off all the hustle and bustle, and provide them a place to slow down, breathe deep and appreciate life,” Cayetano said.