Metro Pacific offers help to preserve Hundred Islands

ALAMINOS CITY, Philippines – The city government and Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) are joining forces for the preservation of the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP).

The partnership, sealed last Aug. 18, will kick off on Sept. 3-4 during the third Shore It Up, an annual project of the Metro Pacific Investment Foundation Inc. (MPIF), the corporate social responsibility arm of the MPIC chaired by Manny Pangilinan in support of environmental preservation and conservation.

Pangilinan, Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza and MPIC chief executive officer Jose Maria Lim earlier had signed a memorandum of understanding defining the responsibilities of both parties in ensuring the success of the project.

The MPIC chose the HINP as it presents a unique opportunity for volunteers of Shore It Up 2011 to take part in protecting marine biodiversity on top of just cleaning the shorelines and underwater areas. 

More than 100 volunteer divers and non-divers from Meralco, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Tollways and MPIC’s hospital group represented by Makati Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center and Riverside Medical Center, are taking part in Shore It Up.

Academic institutions, environmentalists, scientists, and local government units were also invited to join the project that will also involve moving of clams to be supervised by the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute, coral and mangrove planting, and shore cleanup.

“We are pleased that our environmental advocacy through Shore It Up is now a collaborative effort from all the companies within the MPIC group and its chosen local government unit,” Lim said.

The HINP, believed to be two million years old, is Pangasinan’s top ecotourism destination. It is the first declared national park in the country and is also the first natural park in the country and in Southeast Asia. 

Braganza said he was grateful to Pangilinan for this opportunity to showcase the true beauty of the HINP, saying the city is committed in ensuring the protection of its natural treasures and in promoting Hundred Islands as a tourist destination with its thriving marine ecosystem.