FPIP CONSUELO PARK: Shinrin-Yuko in a Happy Place

In the heart of  CALABARZON is the First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) which is a joint venture of First Philippine Holdings  (FPH)  of the Lopez Group and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan.  Inside the over  500 hectares of  prime industrial  land are 150 locators. Collectively, these FPIP locators of varying national origin(s)  contribute US$ 3.5 Billion in export earnings to the Philippine economy   and generate  80,000  Pinoy jobs annually.   Amidst all this robust economic activity in the industrial hub, there is an oasis. 

This oasis is called the Consuelo Park.   

The Bicolano Penguin (BP) had an opportunity to explore this oasis on the   1st Saturday last month of  March. After finishing the 5km fun run with First Balfour  project employees inside FPIP in the early morning hours,  I decided to visit Consuelo Park to continue  my running. For that Saturday, I targetted to have a run of 10kms.  Since the BP has done already 5kms earlier in the fun run, I figured another 5kms was in the offing for me at Consuelo Park. 

Consuelo Park directory 

Entering Consuelo Park from the HY Dimacali Entrance, one cannot help but notice the palpable Japanese influence to the place. There is the Japanese bridge and flanking  it are a pair of Koi ponds.  Strolling a dozen yard further west and one sees a sign that reads "SHINRIN-YOKU." 

Japanese Bridge

Koi pond

Shinrin-Yoku sign

Say what?  Shinrin-Yoku is translated into forest bathing in English. Shinrin in Japanese means 'forest' and yoku means 'bath.' Therefore, Shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our 5 senses:

1.  Sense of sight:  green color, yellow color and red color of the forest landscape.

2.  Sense of smell: fresh cool smell of the fragrance from trees and flowers. 

3. Sense of hearing:  forest sounds of birds singing, insecrs chirping and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees.

4.  Sense of touch:  touching the bark and leaves of trees. 

5.  Sense of taste:  eating foods and fruits from forests, taste the frest air in the forests.   

Curious as a cat, the Bicolano Penguin googled about Shinrik-Yoku and there are fascinating facts about it.  

For starters, a national health programme for Shinrin-yoku was introduced in 1982 by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture,  Forestry and Fisheries for the stress management of workers in Japan.  The term shinrin-yoku was coined by Tomohide Akayama, the director of the said govt agency.  

Health-wise, shinrin-yoku has many benefits. An acknowledged expert on the subject is Dr. Qing Li of the Nippon Medical School Hospital in Tokyo.  Thru the years, he has conducted numerous studies  and published the results.  In one such study,  subjects who took 80-minute walks in the forest were found to have a significant reduced heart rate. It decreased participants' depression scores, fatigue anxiety and confusion.   

Wow. Looks like this shinrin-yuko stuff is legit and in Consuelo Park with its 1.1km nature tail lined up with 868 trees (representing 48 tree species), there is that shinrin-yuko health benefits. We have our lucky stars to thank for this wellness oasis that is the Consuelo Park.

Park Facts sign 

The 48 tree species inside Consuelo Park include many Philippine indigenous trees like Igyo (Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum), Katmon (Dillenia philippinensis) and Narra (Pterocarpus indicus).  

Additional Philippine indigenous trees inside Consuelo Park include Balitbitan (Cynometra ramiflora), Kalumpit (Terminalia microcarpa) and Tibig (Ficus nota). 

We actually can thank the FPIP leadership for their vision to establish the Consuelo Park back in December 2021.  It was the  intention of the management of FPIP, led by President Giles B. Puno,  to give something to enhance the locator employees experience. Evidently, this is something good that FPIP did for the thousands of employees working for the locators of the  industrial park. Plus of course, the Consuelo Park has benefitted the people in the surrounding communities as it is open to the general public.   

Mr. Puno having a group selfie with the FPIP team at the amphitheater inside Consuelo Park  

The park is named after Ma. Consuelo Mercedes Rufino Lopez, the dearly departed mother of the current FPH Chairman.   Her nurturing demeanor for her family and the environment served as an inspiration for the creation of Consuelo Park. True.  Quite a number of times, more than a decade ago, the BP has witnessed Mrs. Lopez accompany her husband, FPH Chairman Emeritus  Oscar M. Lopez on trekking adventures in support of the environment and community.  

On that morning of the 1st Saturday of March, the BP actually got to spend more than an hour exploring Consuelo Park. Based on my Garmin, I ran and walked for more than 7 kilometers inside the park, and in the process, burning more than 650 calories. It was a healthy and helpful experience.  Back in our First Balfour office on the Monday morning after that 1st Saturday,  I was in our company clinic for my regular BP check.  Our nurse got my BP reading and asked me - "Your Blood Pressure is 110/70, what is your secret?".  To which the BP replied: "Shinrin-yuko in my happy place."

Surely, it is not only the Bicolano Penguin that has benefitted from a visit to Consuelo Park.  Countless  people  have had the pleasure and wellness benefits of such a visit. And countless more will.    I cannot help but remember the last photo  taken  on my jaunt in the park on that 1st Saturday of March.  The photo is that of four kids jogging inside Consuelo Park, their exuberant steps matched by the glee in their eyes.   

4 Kids on a Saturday jog inside Consuelo Park 

The body language the 4 kids exhibited is clear proof that the FPIP Consuelo Park is a happy place for many.

Well done FPIP. 

  

              

      

   

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https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9665958/

https://www.japan.travel/national-parks/plan-your-visit/guides-and-stories/forest-bathing-in-japans-national-parks/