PMSEA maintains adopted park at Botanical Garden

The city government and the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) entered into a memorandum of agreement for the extension for another three years and the expansion of the area of the PMSEA Park located within the newly refurbished Botanical Garden.

The MOA was sealed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong and PMSEA president Engr. Luis R. Sarmiento was witnessed by City Environment and Parks management officer Rhenan Diwas and members of the PMSEA Board of Directors.

Under the said agreement, the PMSEA will continue to adopt the PMSEA Garden, including the lot adjacent to it and continue as the development partner in maintaining the cleanliness, landscaping and beautification of the area; assist the city in the preservation of the natural view of the park that include the existing trees and ornaments and other vegetative ground coverings of the area, including park facilities found in the same; introduce and provide landscape materials in the form of indigenous plants and/or any other kind of planting materials that would aid in maintaining the area; continue with the improvements and/or development projects with proper coordination and approval by CEPMO; not encumber or alienate any portion of the said park but ensure its preservation and accessibility to the public and turnover to the local government all accomplished projects and/or activities implemented within the park upon the revocation or termination of the agreement.

On the other hand, the city’s shall exercise solely the rights and powers to review and approve whatever programs and projects undertaken by PMSEA through the CEPMO prior to implementation; provide technical assistance to PMSEA in the design and implementation of projects and supervise the execution of all programs, projects and activities within the park; ensure the preservation and safeguarding of all park facilities being the overall administrator of all city parks, including that of the PMSEA Garden and enforcement of existing laws, rules and regulations on the management and operation of city parks where the same are suppletory to the said agreement.

In 2010, PMSEA adopted the so-called PMSEA Garden which is a 5,000-square meter portion of the Botanical Garden which forms part of its contribution to the efforts of the local government to sustain the preservation and protection of the environment and being part of the volunteer group’s advocacy on responsible mining.

Through the year, the PMSEA planted more than 1,500 trees and some 150 endemic plants within the portions of the adopted area under the Adopt-A-Park program of the city government.

The said agreement was renewed in 2017 pursuant to the commitment of the PMSEA as a frontrunner in occupational health and safety, sound environmental management and social development.

Sarmiento assured city officials that PMSEA is committed to help in the efforts of the local government to implement sustainable environmental preservation and protection projects as its contribution to the city being the second home of the PMSEA and its partner in environmental preservation and protection for the benefit of future generations of inhabitants.

For his part, the mayor expressed his gratitude to the organization for helping in improving Botanical Garden pursuant to its standards where the same will be replicated in other city parks. – Dexter A. See