Rep. Geraldine Roman meeting with her constituents. Contributed photo
ORANI, Bataan — First District Rep. Geraldine Roman on Tuesday cited the importance and the need for more public parks that people can often visit, especially during this time of the coronavirus disease pandemic.
She urged that more open and green spaces be established in every municipality of the country.
The congresswoman recalled that after the general community quarantine was lifted in Bataan, the first instinct of her constituents was to go to their people’s park at the middle of the town proper here.
“Tulad nang kanilang nakagisnan, ang maliit na lugar na ito ang madalas pinapasyalan ng mga kababayan ko. Ganoon din ang nangyari sa mga ibang bayan sa aking distrito. Dinagsa ang mga pampublikong open and green spaces,” Roman said.
She emphasized that safety protocols were, however, strictly enforced in every park.
“Sa aking panayam sa kanila, ang sinasabi ng marami ay tila dito lang sila nakakahinga ng malaya. Dito sila nakaka de-stress sa pamamagitan ng ehersisyo at pamamasyal. Dito sila nakikipag-ugnayan sa ibang tao, bagay na kinakailangan nating lahat sa ating araw-araw na pamumuhay,” she said.
Roman noted that being social creatures, we cannot survive as human beings in continuous isolation.
She lamented though that not all local government units are blessed with open, green spaces, revealing that she continues to dream of more open and green spaces in her district and the country and not to be content with just a small town plaza.
“Others simply do not have any park. We simply cannot leave this to the political will of the LGU executives. We have to legislate something that will require the LGUs to allocate a portion of their land to parks and other open and green spaces,” she said, noting that there are national parks, usually protected environmental areas but these are undeveloped and inaccessible to people.
“Some fear this kind of development and cite environmental protection as a shield against any kind of development, but I am referring to the sustainable kind of development that will combine environmental protection and sustainable tourism,” the Bataan solon said.
