Those of us who grew up in the province know the excitement of mango picking day. We hurry to finish the hearty breakfast that is the usual prelude to the trip to the orchard, and eagerly rush to where the mango trees stand.
The branches of the mangoes are heavy with bright green fruits and the excitement mounts as the fruit pickers are assigned their trees. Low-lying branches laden with fruit are reserved for the children who are eager to help, while the fruit in the topmost branches that are difficult to climb are reached with long bamboo poles with baskets tied at the tip. The mangoes have to be carefully picked from the trees. They are so mature and crisp that they tend to crack open when one is careless and they fall to the ground.
As the pile of fragrant green fruit gets bigger, the mangoes are weighed and sorted according to size. The fruit is then gently laid on paper and banana leaf-lined baskets or kaings. When the kaing is full, more banana leaves and paper are used to cover the mangoes and the baskets are then tied with twine.
The mangoes will ripen to their yellow succulent goodness in the baskets. Soon, they will be ready for eating. For children, a delicious way to eat mango is to peel the entire ripe fruit. Then, with the juice dripping, they will bite into the mango’s sweetness and savor the fresh luscious fruit. Strangely, the mangoes one picks seem to pack an extra measure of sweetness. Clearly, the experience of mango-picking is the magical ingredient that enhances the delectability of the fruit.
It is unfortunate that many children who grow up in urban areas are deprived of the experience of mango picking. For them, the mango is just another fruit that can be bought from the supermarkets. They grow up listening to their parents’ stories about mango picking season, without really understanding what the hoopla is all about. Indeed, one has to experience a mango harvest to comprehend its simple yet profound pleasures.
Happily, our children now have the chance to experience the simple joys of harvesting mangoes. At Ayala Westgrove Heights, the 400- hectare suburban community being developed in Silang, Cavite that is designed to be an exclusive, prime residential area nestled in a mango orchard, the trees have been preserved for the enjoyment of the community.
"When we saw the property, it immediately struck us that the key elements that made the land beautiful were the mango orchards and the rolling terrain," says Joselito N. Luna, assistant vice president, Technical Planning Division of Ayala Land Inc. "We wanted to preserve the views so we built our concept around it."
And thus, the locations of thousands of mango trees in the area were surveyed and plotted out so that land development did not necessitate the destruction of tree stands. "We had to sacrifice what could have been saleable land to preserve the trees," says Luna. "But there was a deliberate effort to save the trees so that these could be enjoyed by all the residents."
The fruit-bearing trees stand in a central area that is accessible to all. Luna says that mango picking will be a shared activity, with community members sharing the mango harvest. To encourage residents to congregate in the central area, a village clubhouse, lagoon and playfields are also being built there.
Ayala Westgrove Heights is a thoroughly modern and secure community that supports the advocacy of "green planning" in urban development. This entails following a master plan that will consider the overall environmental impact of introducing new structures in a specific area, and minimizing the detrimental effects of development.
Clean air is one of the attractions of residing in Ayala Westgrove Heights. Aside from existing trees, the developer has embarked on a massive tree- planting project. By growing jacaranda, ipil, narra and other shade or fruit trees on roadsides, one does not only diminish carbon dioxide, used by plants in photosynthesis, and promote cleaner air. Tree-lined streets also make walking a pleasurable exercise, thus encouraging residents to engage in physical exercise and a healthier way of life.
Of course, the added bonus to planting fruit trees is that residents can eventually enjoy a variety of fresh fruits all year round when the trees reach their fruit-bearing age. Just as importantly, the Ayala Westgrove Heights area is home to a variety of bird species. Maintaining the trees where they build their nests and planting more trees will ensure that the birds are not displaced.
To further abide by the dictates of "green planning," there is a need to maintain low population density and sustain an ecologically sound environment. It is with this in mind that subdivision of individual lots is not allowed, and a cap on heights of buildings is imposed. Likewise, "setbacks" or spaces between buildings will be requisite. The restriction ensures that the atmosphere of wide, open spaces at Ayala Westgrove Heights is maintained.
A sewage treatment facility will ensure proper recycling of wastewater for irrigation, while drainage water (which is the clean rainwater runoff), will flow into existing clean, natural streams that support wildlife.
Joselito Luna observes that land buyers are more environmentally conscious toady. "There is a stronger appreciation for nature in general," he affirms. "People who choose to reside in Ayala Westgrove find the environment and lifestyle it affords more appealing."
Indeed, painstaking effort has been made to ensure that the environment retains its original charm. "There were no major land movements and development followed the contour of the land," says Robert S. Lao Division Manager for Land and Houses. "The project was designed using non-traditional subdivision planning. Although this is a more expensive way to build a project, it has big environmental pay-offs."
How is the project an example of non-traditional subdivision planning? "The roads are curvilinear so save the trees. Simply put, the road is diverted if it threatens to hit a stand of trees," Lao explains. Likewise, the lots were not simplistically cut into squares or grids. The biggest challenge for his group, Lao says, "is coordinating design and managing costs. We always want to give the best quality to our residents and give the best value for money." However, the bonus of non-traditional subdivision planning is that every lot in Ayala Westgrove is unique.
To environmental purists who subscribe to the belief that urbanism and environmentalism are concepts that are at odds with each other, Joselito Luna has this to say: "Urbanism has both its benefits and negative repercussions but we cannot afford NOT to create habitats for people. So what we try to do is to create communities that will hopefully mitigate any adverse impacts on the environment. We try to find the delicate balance where urbanization and nature can co-exist."
Robert Lao agrees. " The key is to achieve a balance between land development and environmental preservation," he says. " There is a need for responsible property developers who have the vision and foresight to build well-planned communities." It is in progressive and environmentally attentive developments where man and nature can live in harmonious co-existence.
At Ayala Westgrove Heights where dragonflies thrive in the clean, fresh air, where birds perch on the branches of majestic trees and where residents are encouraged to stop and smell the flowers, mango harvest season will be a time of rediscovery and delight.