LAST week I was invited by the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. to be the emcee of the Environment Champions luncheon co-hosted by the Canadian embassy in Manila. The event brought together different players from government, civil society and local communities in a brief morning forum to discuss the lessons from Masungi's conservation efforts and the challenges it continues to face. After lunch, the participants, including Canadian Ambassador Peter MacArthur, went walking on the edge of the Discovery Trail to see some Philippine native trees. The Philippine government was represented by Secretary Robert Borje, vice chairman of the Climate Change Commission, Undersecretary Miguel Cuna for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The Masungi we've come to know as the award-winning geotourism site with hanging bridges, duyan and rope courses that run through the limestone cliffs, was a project initiated by its mother organization Blue Star developers since 1996. As part of their project with government, Blue Star and the Masungi Foundation embarked on a conservation program that not only protected the mountain environs but also allowed the forest to heal by planting native trees in the 2,700-hectare site. The results of this decades-old program are enjoyed now by guests who sign up for the Discovery Trail, an adventure that is so unforgettable for anyone who still has good knees.

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