Rainforest Park

Let's clear this out first. This is not in the Philippines. This Rainforest Park is located in Sandakan in the island of Borneo, Malaysia.

This place is something that should inspire the Philippines in developing and effectively managing a natural area both for conservation and recreation. It does not take huge development and introduction of artificial landscaping to optimize its tourism value. All it takes is to maintain its real natural features (which eventually also equates to socio-economic value). Appropriately zone the built-up area and tourist movement (trails, hanging bridges, birding towers), and make sure that any activity that goes against the tenets of conservation are not even considered in a special place like this.

Come to think of it.... See the tall tree in the middle? For a logger, that could be worth Php90,000 ($2,000). For a slash and burn farmer, a good source of fertilizer, and for a charcoal maker, maybe about Php2,000 ($45).... all at one and only time. But for tourism, its value goes beyond a single harvest and can have both recreation and environmental (remember the oxygen lessons in your elementary school days?) worth that could last as long as the tree lives through its natural age.

There really should come a time when we consider nature NOT as something to be conveniently harvested or abused, but a valuable resource to be nurtured (and the reality is - for our own sake).

The Philippines also has some great examples we can showcase. But just wait till I get good photos before I talk about them :D