Kan-irag Nature Park in Cebu
One overcast morning, I visited Kan-irag Nature Park in barangay Pung-ol, Sibugay, within KotKot watershed area, across Ayala Heights. Yes, I'm very precise with the location because I want to encourage everyone to visit Cebu's first "real" nature park.
I was lucky to stumble on a couple of students on tour and met the executive director of the Soil and Water Conservation Foundation, Inc. William Granert. I was given a briefing on the development of the project. Kan-irag Nature Park is a consortium of environmental groups with Ayala (It seems the security guards in the area come from Ayala).
Ayala Land decided to donate 70 hectares of the area when they realized that it encroached on Cebu's watershed. The Kan-irag area was suppose to be an extension of the Ayala Heights Subdivision. It seems they made the right decision. They have somehow saved the local environment. The mountain used to be bald before Kan-irag Nature Park was developed.
Frankly, I am partial to having a nature park rather than building of houses. In my opinion, houses on top of mountains ruin the delicate ecological balance since a lot of trees will have to be cut down causing flooding at the lower level and landslides.
Mr. Granert said that the area within the park is also not ideal for building commercial structures because the ground is constantly shifting (something to do with the type of soil there). Mr. Granert also said that a camping site maybe available next month and hopefully horses and a zip line next year.
Most people know by now the adverse effects of environmental abuse (remember typhoon Ruping, Ondoy etc.?). That is why the environmental organizations developing the Kan-irag Nature Park is making sure that ecological balance is maintained within the park. Most trees are native. The exotic ones are cut down to be made into benches since local animals can't eat them. Yes, animals within the park will roam free, meaning there will be no zoo here. And more native trees will be planted.
When I say exotic trees, it means that those plants originally came from other countries like Brazil, Mexico, etc. Mr. Granert related that when Ayala donated the land, there were a lot of exotic trees already planted there. This obviously was not ideal. I didn't know that Gemelina was an exotic tree until he pointed it out. I also didn't know then that there was a tree called Catmon that bears fruit that can be eaten by local birds (I took a photo of the Catmon with Mr. Granert).
I've already seen the birds, Mr. Granert said owls usually come out at night. No monkeys yet, unfortunately. Mr. Granert last saw a monkey in Lusaran several years ago. A lot died because of indiscriminate hunting. According to environmentalists, not a lot of politicians care for the environment. That is why come May, let us vote for Cebu politicians who support the Kan-irag Nature Park. We also need to teach our children to protect the environment through field trips to Kan-irag Nature Park.
For those interested to know my transportation to Kan-irag Nature Park, I took a jeepney o4H in Carbon Market (waiting area is across chapel of San Jose University). I told the driver to drop me at the corner of Pung-ol where habal-habal (motorcycle for hire) drivers wait for passengers. Jeepney Fare is Php 20.00. A habal-habal ride to the park is around Php 20.00 from Pung-ol. I took again the habal-habal on my way down to JY Square Mall. My habal-habal fare back was Php 50.00.
I've read in other blogs that there is a van for hire (v-hire) in Ayala Mall Terminal with route Ayala-Tuburan (130 pesos fare). Since Kan-irag is just along the way, the fare would be around 50 pesos.
Kan-irag Nature Park entrance Fee is Php 50.00 for adult, maybe Php 30.00 for child (not sure since no child was with me at that time).
Before I forget, the Soil and Water Conservation Foundation Inc. conducts park tours. Their phone numbers are (032) 254-7570 or (032) 412-6909.
It took me around 2 hours to tour the park. I arrived at around 11:30 in the morning and left around 2:45 in the afternoon. I wasn't hungry when I left. I just ate 3 cobs of freshly boiled sweet yellow corn which the farmers sold for Php 30.00.
To give you an idea how near Kan-irag Nature Park is to the Ayala Shopping Mall. From the mountain, I arrived at the mall 10 minutes later. In fact, I had plenty of time for a late lunch at the Ayala Terraces' Mexican inspired Moon Cafe and a movie "Sherlock Holmes." Later, I ate an English dinner of "Fish and Chips" at Dessert Factory.
