Payumo dares Bataan college students to participate in protecting Bataan National Park

   Speaking before some 2,000 college students of the Bataan Polytechnic State University (BPSU), Bataan Heroes College and Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) , Payumo dared the youth during the Thailand based oil company sponsored environmental summit “to become a hero by joining in the campaign in the ecology protection program .

   He stressed the Bataan National Park’s significant role as a life support system to  agro-industrial sector and residents of Morong, Bagac, Samal, Orani and Hermosa towns .

   Waters from the Mount Natib, categorized as an extinct volcano, flow to rivers and other tributaries of the  five (5) agricultural towns of the province.

   Payumo who  also served for three terms as representative of the Bataan 1st congressional district , urged the students to actively participate in the nature trekking activities at the Bataan National Park as part of the effective crusade of becoming “mga bayani ng kalikasan”.

   He is reportedly planning to confer with the local officials about staging a triathlon event in the Bataan National Park to create public awareness to save the natural habitat for the future generation.

   In a related development, Wisam Chawalitanon, Chief Executive Officer and President of PTT Public Company Limited of Thailand  in the country told the participants in the environmental summit that the firm had launched a three-year reforestation project in a denuded portion of the Bataan National Park in Morong town last year.

   The PTT planted 10,000 trees in this reforestation project which provided  a source of livelihood to the Magbukun Aeta tribe residing in the  locality. This activity had gained support from various government  and non-government organizations ,civic and religious groups.

   Chawalitanon recognizes the role of the cultural minority by saying “we are grateful to the Aeta community because they are helping us preserve  these trees.”

   He added “they are more aware now that it is in the mountain of Bataan where their future lies although it is for the future of the country”.

   As expected the CEO  vowed to plant more than 30,000 trees in the 50 hectare  portion of the Bataan National Park in 2015.