Smart powers Mt. Natib Flora Adventure Hunt

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) recently supported a one-of-a-kind adventure race by providing smartphones and connectivity to participants who trekked Mt. Natib in Bataan.

Organized by Mga Bayani ng Kalikasan (MBNK) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the Mt. Natib Flora Adventure Hunt was a 40-kilometer journey from the Sinagtala Resort and Retreat Park in Tala, Orani up to Bataan Technology Park in Morong.

On day 1 of the trek, 17 four-man teams honored the late Filipino botanist Dr. Leonard Co by searching and capturing images of the various plant species found on Mt. Natib, as compiled in Co’s book, Pictorial Guide to the Plants at the Bataan National Park.

Using the Android application developed by WideOut Technology Services Inc. called Flora Adventure Buddy, the Smart-powered Samsung Galaxy Y automatically logged the coordinates of the species captured through the mobile phone’s camera.

A tree-planting ceremony was held on the second day at the trail’s kaingin area, followed by an all-terrain, trail-running competition starting from the base camp all the way to the Bataan Technology Park.

Event organizers and participants raise their hands in victory at the finish line of the adventure hunt. From left: Mga Bayani ng Kalikasan events coordinator Dennis Cuarto, Smart Public Affairs Group senior manager Darwin Flores, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority corporate planning manager Chot Kabigting, Bases Conversion and Development Authority chairman Felicito Payumo, BCDA president and CEO Arnel Casanova, BCDA vice president Dean Santiago, Bataan Technology Park Inc. president and CEO Commodore Amado Sanglay, and BCDA director Elmar Gomez.

“The late Dr. Co was one of the country’s best botanists. By supporting this adventure race, Smart honors his life’s work and enjoins the rest of the country in appreciating the beauty of our natural resources and the importance of preserving the environment,” said Smart Public Affairs Group head Ramon Isberto.

“With Smart providing us with the means to make this event possible, we are able to generate awareness among the various stakeholders in environmental advocacies and eco-tourism promotion,” said MBNK events coordinator Dennis Cuarto.

“We successfully promoted Mt. Natib, Bataan Natural Park as a model of environmental protection and eco-tourism and, most importantly, honored and recognized the valuable contributions of the late botanist Leonard Co in documenting the flora of this area,” Cuarto added.

BCDA chairman Felicito Payumo said they are optimistic about the future of Philippine flora and hopes to “replicate the race in other protected areas nationwide to further boost environmental and tourism campaigns that will ultimately redound to the benefit of the local communities through business opportunities and job generation.”