UPLB Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems

03/09/2026

𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐁, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐔𝐏! 🌏💚

In celebration of 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, UPLB invites the entire community to come together and turn our shared commitment to the environment into meaningful action.

From 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒–𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, let’s make every clean-up, every properly segregated waste, and every small act of environmental responsibility count toward a 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀. 🌱

And there’s more! 👀✨
𝗔 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆!

📚 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀 – Learn practical ways to create cleaner, more organized, and sustainable workplaces and spaces.

🧹 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗽, 𝗘-𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 – Roll up our sleeves and put environmental commitment into action.

📸 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 – Capture your best “Clean UP, LB!” moments and show us what a clean, organized, and sustainable UPLB looks like through your lens.

…and 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 throughout the week! 🌿💚

So mark your calendars and get ready to 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀.

𝗦𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮 𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕, 𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗼 𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶!

#𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕 #𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗽𝗗𝗮𝘆𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 #𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕 #𝗪𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕 #𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗣𝗿𝗼 #𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

02/09/2026

The UPLB Native Flowering Tree for Sustainable Urban Landscape Program was officially launched on August 20, 2026 at designated garden areas beside the

01/09/2026

🌤 Trail Advisory | Mariang Makiling Trail (Stations 1 to 30) is now open to the public 🎉

28/08/2026

🚨 TRAIL ADVISORY | 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗠𝗧 (𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗕)

🚫 The 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 at the University of the Philippines Los Baños will be 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗 until further notice due to heavy rainfall brought by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) 🌧

The safety of our visitors and our forest is our priority. Please wait for our next advisory.

Stay safe, everyone! 💚

28/08/2026

Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College visits the UPLB Makiling Botanic Gardens

27/08/2026

🌿 Dagdag KaHalaman!🌿

Kilalanin ang Tangisang Bayawak kasama si Kuya Jem Cabading ! Alamin ang kakaibang katangian at kahalagahan nito sa ating kagubatan. 💚

Kilalanin ang Tangisang Bayawak 🌳 kasama si Kuya Jem Cabading! Al...

26/08/2026

🏔️Heading to Peak 2? Here's what you need to know before you go:

✅ Book your guide via https://bit.ly/MMFRBooking2023 — at least 2 days in advance
✅All group members must register individually — just make sure you all use the same group name!

See you at the top!🌿🥾

26/08/2026

🚨 Trail Advisory | 𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗜𝗜 𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 ‼

𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗜𝗜 is 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 to hikers starting 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝟮𝟲 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

🚫 Flatrocks will remain CLOSED until further notice.

Ready to summit? See you on the trail — register properly and hike safely! 🌳💚

24/08/2026

🤔 Did you know? The hot spring resorts we love in Calamba and Los Baños get their water from Mount Makiling's limited groundwater.

Researchers from UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources found that most people visit to relax, and because resorts are accessible and affordable — but half don't know where the water actually comes from. 💦🏊‍♀️

The good news: tourists are willing to pay an extra 𝗣𝗛𝗣 𝟳𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 to help conserve it. That small amount can raise 𝗣𝗛𝗣 𝟭𝟱𝟵 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 for the protection of Mount Makiling and better water management in resorts. 💚🌳

Small fee, big impact for our Makiling! ⛰

RESEARCH | Calamba City and Los Baños in Laguna benefit from the water ecosystem services of Mt. Makiling. Being a dormant volcano, it supplies hot water to springs and groundwater in the area, giving rise to a resort-based tourism industry. Over the years, the number of resorts has increased significantly, placing a toll on groundwater resources. Given the heavy reliance on groundwater by resorts in the area, this paper presents the findings of a contingent valuation (CV) study that examined tourists' knowledge of resort water sources, reasons for their visits, and their willingness to pay (WTP) for improved water conservation of Mt. Makiling.

About 50% of 492 respondents were aware of the resort’s water source, mostly saying it is hot springs, but only a few knew groundwater as the water source. The main reasons for visiting the resorts are for relaxation as well as their accessibility and affordability. The estimated mean WTP is PHP 75/visit. If captured, this can raise PHP 159.52 million/yr, with a present value of PHP 1.358 billion at a 10% discount rate over a 20-yr discounting period. The respondents’ primary motivation for WTP was conserving Mt. Makiling’s limited groundwater. Those unwilling to pay cited affordability concerns and opposition to paying for pool water recycling. Insights about implementing a CV survey online are also discussed.

This study recommends that local governments enact policies to capture WTP for improved groundwater conservation, utilizing the funds generated for Mt. Makiling management and resort water conservation measures.

Authors: Margaret M. Calderon, Analyn L. Codilan, Jan Joseph V. Dida, Vanessa M. Palma-Torres, Angela Marie S. Alducente, and Canesio D. Predo (Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Published in the Philippine Journal of Science

Read more: https://ovpaa.up.edu.ph/research/visitors-estimated-mean-willingness-to-pay-for-water-conservation-in-mt-makiling-is-php-75-per-visit/