Clarin Settlement, Oroquieta City (UPDATE) –Year 2010, is declared by the United Nation as the International year of Biodiversity whose theme focus on “Biodiversity is Life, Biodiversity is our life” is very timely when the city government of Oroquieta together with its city officials and employees organization, OCIGEA (Oroquieta City Government Employees Association) conducted its first ever, Eco-Walk:”Adto Ta (Lets Go) and help revive the eco-park”.
Hon. Ruvy” Alay” Ala, Chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Committee on Tourism said that instead of dreaming, planning, and talking let’s go make it “eco walk the talk”. Which means that as government officials and employees must be realistic in promoting and move for its revival of the Ciriaco Pastrano Park, a preserved mini forest of the Oroquieta Agro-Industrial School for the last 35 years.
Ciriaco Pastrano Park was established during the time of the late Mayor Ciriaco Pastrano with the support of the OAIS (Oroquieta Agro-Industrial School) in the 120 hectare of land and forest in Clarin Settlement, a city barangay 10-15 kilometers away from the city proper. It begun to become famous for the Oroquietanons and the students of OAIS, however, in 1988 the park and the school was deserted after an attack by the insurgents as it become a battlefield.
Life seems useless in the area when people evacuated and scampered for their safety, when government forces and the rebels fight each other,”some civilians were killed and suffered”. The Ciriaco Pastrano Park become infamous as it goes back to its origin a second growth virgin forest with flora and fauna surviving.
When government retake it from the insurgents, people started to come back and continue their farming and livelihood, but the school administration of OAIS decided to transfer their school to a safer place however, continues to manage the area.
Today with the new administration of City Mayor Jason Almonte who had been always a dreamer, decided to make it as one of his executive agenda to revive the eco-park for the Oroquietanons and let it be known not only in Misamis Occidental but to the world that, in this part of Northern Mindanao there is a place for the new generation to visit and learn, why?
Mr. Eden Pito, DENR Protected Areas and Wildlife expert who was invited to give a message, said that all things must be connected, we must preserved and protect our environment, because biodiversity is life and it is our life.
On the said eco walk, participants from the office of the City Mayor, the Sanggunian Panlungsod and other department with their employees realized that it is their responsibility to start reviving the mini forest to become again a beautiful eco-park for their children’s children.
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