Welcome to
MAPAWA NATURE PARK

Background: Mapawa is within the license area os E. Pelaez Ranch, Inc. Our total license area is 2,418 has. 1,920 has of which is under IFMA or Industrial Forest Management Agreement and 498 hectares is under FLGLA or Forest Land Grazing Lease Agreement. Both tenurial instruments were issued in 1995 to expire 2020 for a 25 year-term renewable for another 25 year. Originally the entire area was under a PLA or Pasture Lease Agreement, hence the company's name is E. Pelaez Ranch, Inc. In 1995 1,950 has. of the total area wasbconverted into IFMA and 498 was retained under FLGLA (ranch). Under the IFMA instrument the company is mandated to reforest or establish 1,200 has. Of forest plantation, manage the 200 has. natural forest we have in the area and protect the entire area from all forms of forest violations and/or destruction. Ending CY 2008 we have planted 961.705 has. But unfortunately in summer of 2003, 232.20 has. were totally damaged by fire which started from outside our area when some youth on picnic in Bigaan river, cooked their food and left without completly putting off their fire. In just a matter of 4-5 hours 220 has. of our tree plantations were gone. * The existing tree plantation we have today is 729.505 as of 2011. The 200 has. natural forest that we have is the nearest natural forest from Cagayan de Oro that one can find. Way back in the 60's when the late Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez and Mrs. Edith Pelaez acquired this property from the Marfori's the area of the natural forest was just around 67 js. only. Through the years with protection given by the family the forest widened into what it is now, 200 has. We have at the park a Dao tree which is around 350 years old and a white Lauan tree which is around 300 years old. We also have a 6 hectare pocket of natural forest with 122 indegenous species per inventory by Prof. Ilagan of Central Mindanao University. Before this place was closed to the public because of the danger of grass fire and liters hazardous to animals. But in 2002, the company decided to establish the Mapawa Nature Park and open the place to the public to show what we have done and what we are doing in caring and protecting our environment and natural resources. This project is a testament that with love, concern and dedication our environment and natural resources will respond to how we treat it. To quote our chairman of the board, Mr. Ernesto F. Pelaez, "Here at EPRI We Grow Trees, not just plant. Planting is an activity while growing is a commitment in like manner that we just don't give birth to a baby but parents raise a child into a person they want him/her to be." Through this project we are also able to help in the Forest Information and Educational Campaign of the DENR to educate the public on the importance of taking care of our environment which is very critical now, considering the state of our environment with issues like global warming, climate change, typhoons, floods and other natural calamities that are getting more violentb and destructiive to lives and properties. Through this project, we also give employment to the surrounding communities. Those we can not employ were allowed to cultivate portions of our fireline areas under certain conditions where the company does not get any share instead ask the cultivators to assist in our forest protection efforts. One of the proofs of the fruit or our labor is the abundance of water in our area which basic necessity we share with the communities adjacent to our area. In October 2004, STEAG State Power Inc. , DENR-EMB and EPRI entered into a Memorandum of Agreement whereby STEAG will establish it's Carbon Sink in compliance to it's ECC, within the area of EPRI. The MOA was implimented in 2005. This project is an invaluable legacy of the late Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez and his wife Mrs. Edith Pelaez to the people of Cagayan de Oro city and nearby communities. *company forester Mr. Jojo Primne