It's good to be back in La Mesa and see it thriving! The first time I visited was way back in the early 2000s for the Save La Mesa Watershed project of the late environment advocate Gina Lopez. She had multiple projects as head of ABS-CBN Foundation, and La Mesa was one of her projects under Bantay Kalikasan.
The Watershed is 2,700 hectares, 700 hectares of which is the reservoir, and 2,000 hectares is the surrounding forest. This forest is the last remaining one of its size in Manila and serves as its carbon dioxide sink.
The project started as reforesting and replanting to cover the almost denuded Watershed through the 'Adopt a Hectare' and 'Adopt a Tree' programs. A portion of the reserve was later redeveloped and refurbished as an Eco Park to support the watershed reforestation project.
I'm so glad that they opened up the La Mesa Nature Reserve for hiking and mountain bike enthusiasts. It's open every day from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The entrance fee is P1,000 for a group and P200 each for more than 5 persons. Each group is assigned a guide. To get there, follow Waze to La Mesa Nature Reserve. Book 3 days in advance via 0928-798-5698 or 0949 397-6059. Walk-ins are discouraged! The park has a limit of up to 100 persons. If you want to avoid the crowd, go after 8 am.
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