Dumpsites become recreational sites, urban farms in Taguig

A nice view at the TLC Park, a former dumpsite turned recreational site in Taguig City. Photo courtesy of Think Big Taguig

To utilize idle lands and other areas formerly designated as dumpsites in Taguig City, the local government unit has transformed these sites into parks, recreational places and farmlands.

Among these areas are two parks in Barangay Lower Bicutan, which are now called the Taguig Lakefront Community (TLC) Park and Taguig Integrated Urban Farm.

A makeover turned this former dumpsite into the TLC Park, a 600-square-meter lot now being visited by joggers, bikers and other people who just want to relax and unwind. The park was inaugurated in 2014 and no trace of being a former garbage site is seen.

“We are creating a place where every visitor – regardless of their social status – can enjoy themselves, with the company of their families or friends,” said Taguig Manpower Training Center officer-in-charge Maria Anabelle “Bingle” Santos, who spearheads the management of what has now turned into a destination for many visitors.

Train ride at the TLC Park is a delight to visiting children. Photo courtesy of Think Big Taguig

These lots were once filled with trash before Mayor Lani Cayetano assumed office in 2010, but these places are no hopeless case, as the city turns them into eventful hangouts.

“We’ve always wanted to stay true to our ‘probinsyudad’ principle, striking a balance between modernization and tradition, advancement and the environment, urban and rural,” said Mayor Lani. “It comes naturally that we convert unused, vacant or abandoned lots so that they work to the benefit of our people and our understanding of the kind of city we are.”

TLC Park offers activities for various purposes, all free of charge. It has traditional Filipino games for youngsters, a train ride for toddlers, biking for families, film showings for barkada. Hoopers can use the basketball court. Students can study or practice there, with so much room to go about.

Park personnel have conducted daily afternoon classes for kids who’ve become regular visitors, where they teach some lessons in basic literacy, good manners and, of course, song and dance.

A much bigger land conversion project was the 2,500-square-meter farm right beside the Lakeshore Hall, known as the Taguig Integrated Urban Farm. The farm, launched in December 2017, now marries the urban with the rural when, in 2006 before the Cayetano administration, this served as a dumping ground for collected trash.

The urban farm showcases various methods to do farming in the context of a city: vertical farming, wooden rack and pole gardening. All these ways can be learned in a bamboo classroom dedicated to urban agriculture.

It has a coffee shop and an orchidarium surrounded with fruit-bearing trees and vegetables, from tomatoes to eggplants, okra, lettuce, cabbage and mustard, among others.

The harvest does not go to waste, noted City Agriculture Office officer-in-charge Emelita Solis. “Our produce usually goes to the feeding programs conducted by our local government and, in some cases, to different institutions like Bahay Pag-Asa and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.”

The farm exhibits sustainability, wise land use, livability and food security for Taguig residents and visitors, she added.

“We’re trying to teach people that all this is possible in the city setting,” said Mayor Lani. “You can turn neglected spaces into places of engagement or showcases of livability. You can carve out in-city spaces so you can take people’s minds off all the hustle and bustle, and provide them a place to slow down, breathe deep and appreciate life.”

Escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and visit the two sites. TLC Park is located at 393 C-6 Road, is open from 7 am to 9 pm every day, except on holidays. Taguig Integrated Urban Farm is located beside Lakeshore Hall in Barangay Lower Bicutan. Non-Taguigeños are welcome.