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[av_heading heading=’Arboretum up in Pandan town soon ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JUN AGUIRRE
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PANDAN, Antique – An arboretum to be built in Barangay Santo Rosario is seen as the largest ecotourism site in Panay Island.
Pandan Arboretum and Eco Park has a total area of 108,925 hectares and costs P30 million, documents from the local office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) showed.
An arboretum is a place where trees, shrubs and, sometimes, herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.
“The main goal is to develop a unique ecotourism development that will attract more tourists and enthusiasts and to sustain and maximize the ecotourism potentials of the locality,” the DENR said.
Here the arboretum includes 82.38 hectares for old-growth trees, 9.28 hectares for a bambusetum (bamboo garden), 3.87 hectares for a palmetum (palm garden), 0.79 hectares for an orchidarium, 0.59 hectares for an herbarium, and 2.012 hectares for government buildings and other infrastructures.
“It is anticipated to become a major tourism destination in northwestern Panay, aside from Boracay Island,” said Sangguniang Bayan member Raymund Gumboc.
The municipal council has expressed support to the project.
The arboretum is hoped to open in early 2017./P
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