Jurassic means park

BY KIM ATIENZA 

The word “Jurassic,” which we often associate with dinosaurs, courtesy of that successful movie franchise, comes from the Celtic word for “forest.”

The movie really means forest park.

Locally, Jurassic is associated with being ancient, or too old.

Where can we find the oldest people in the world?

Many had been found in Japan, particularly in the prefecture of Okinawa, where people follow a strict diet of fruits, vegetable and nuts.

Many other countries have been found to nurture the world’s oldest people. They had been found in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Malta, Mexico, etc.

People in these places have been reported to live up to over 100 years, some by as much as 118 years.

Speaking of forests, the following countries have the largest forest areas in the world as of 2020. 

They are: Russian Federation. Brazil. Canada. United States of America. China. Australia. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Indonesia.  

The Philippines’ forest cover has been reported as dwindling, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Yet, right here in Metro Manila, we take pride in the last bastion of open space that can be found in Arroceros Forest Park.

This 2-hectare riverside park is located on Antonio Villegas Street in the central district of Ermita. It is close to the Quezon Bridge leading to Quiapo.

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Send your questions on anything and everything to Kuya Kim through my Twitter account @kuyakim_atienza using #AlaminKayKuyaKim.