Can you believe that there is paradise at the end of Payatas Road? If you take an hour’s drive from Commonwealth Avenue (entrance of Payatas Road) and head to Rodriguez, Rizal (end of Payatas Road), you will discover a refreshing escape from the pollution and noise of the busy Metro life.

The Wawa Dam was built in 1909 during the American colonial period to service the water needs of Metro Manila. It was then abandoned when the responsibility was transferred to the La Mesa Dam. Now, it serves as a popular biking trail for weekend warriors that extends up to San Mateo, Rizal. The river and the “waterfalls”, if you may call it that, are the rewards of a long trek up.

To get up the main part of the dam, trekkers have to go through a tunnel and cross several bridges.

Small picnic set-ups on top of huge rock formations where people can stay.

The main part of Wawa Dam. Since it was closed in the 1960′s, it has been used as a recreational area for picnics, a little bit of swimming and guess what? Even jukebox karaoke.

Biker pitstop. The huts are also used occupied by bikers to recalibrate their bodies and their bikes.

Unfortunately, because of the volume of tourists going to the dam, there has been a problem with waste management. The locals themselves contribute to this problem because there are no garbage collectors in the area. This is quite an ironic situation knowing that the Payatas garbage dump is just around the corner. Hence, my best friend decided to celebrate her 25th birthday through a special clean-up by the river and a waste management seminar for the locals.

The locals themselves participating in the clean-up.

It was quite an eye-opener for me. I was surprised that the locals did not know how to handle their garbage. What they regularly do is to pile all of their trash and set them up for burning. This is such a harmful practice because the toxic chemicals can seep through the soil and affect the water. The smoke can even cause difficulty in breathing, and worst, cancer. The main problem? The trail around the dam is too narrow and rocky that no vehicle can pass through it, making it hard for collectors to reach the homes.

My high school teammates and I serving as clean-up volunteers. Smoke signals burning of garbage around the river.

Joey Papa from the Bangon Kalikasan Movement conducting a waste management seminar after the clean-up for the community heads and women of Sitio Wawa, Rodriguez, Rizal.

Entitled as “The Uy Family Birthday Movement”, the Uy family holds outreaches everytime there is a birthday in the family. After a successful clean-up and seminar, they plan to do more with the community of Sitio Wawa for continuity.

Enjoying the view of Wawa Dam. Next time I come back, I’ll prepare clothes for swimming! Wearing my The Inspired Project (www.theinspiredproject.net) shirt and Under Armour gear.

It was such a fruitful trip for all of us. Not only were we able to teach the community about segregation and recycling, we were also able to catch up with each other through the quiet calm of Wawa Dam that was truly a pearl of nature in the middle of the Metro. I am so happy to be able to help with the clean-up but I hope a lot more others, both tourists and locals, would commit to keeping Wawa Dam clean. After all, where else in Manila do we have this?