Northwestern University (Philippines) - Ecotourism Park and Botanic Gardens

Ecotourism Park and Botanic Gardens

The Northwestern University Ecotourism Park is located at Payas-Samac, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte in a 7.8 hectare property of the University. It has a hilly topography and surrounded by woodland ecosystem. The project site is about five (5) kilometers away from the downtown Laoag and could be reached by both private and public transport.

the place is also a plethora of fruit bearing trees and richly vast vegetation of wild and edible plants. Birds of all kinds inhabited the place long before the development started. And trying to recapture them by giving a better and favorable environment. The area has a diversified soil strata, some fossilized shells mounted on sand that undergone sedimentation. Corals also found underneath the sub-soils. Soil conditions were sticky to sandy loam. Large amount of clay deposits used chiefly for the production of red bricks are also present.

Name of the place

The word “payas” had a very conspicuous meaning with respect to the Iloco native tongue “Pa-ayas” or “ayas”. It means to roll down the slope”. This was probably the presence of ubiquitous underground water vein in the area, which was early discovered in primeval. To roll water down the slope to irrigate the low land vegetation is where the place gets its name. and Samac an endemic Macaranga specie of the Euphorbiacea family, it is used for wine and vinegar fermentation.

Payas Samac Mountain range is also the nearest peak south of the City of Laoag. It is historically known to be a hide away camp during the Japanese Colonization according the early inhabitants of that land.

The Ecotourism Park and Botanic Gardens therefore are another achievement as a fit to be seen out come and the result of its common shared value in restoring and conserving the biodiversity of the province, dedicated to the people of Ilocandia. In Institutional parlance, it is the University’s Corporate Social Responsibility to our Mother Earth.

As Envisaged by the Late President Ben A. Nicolas the Ecopark and Botanic Gardens were established based on a policy of achieving harmony between resource protection and public use. It is consumptive because of the integration of fresh organic fruits and vegetables produced from its gardens as catered by horticulturists and at the same time non-consumptive because it offers recreation like, camping, picnic, biking, hiking, fishing, sports events, nature photography, Botanical classes, lectures, trainings, seminars, and many more.

The Park is operating in a Zero waste management policy.