How Mangoes, Sunscreen Roofs and Swimming Pools are Related

Two effective ways of beating summer heat---swimming under a thick and shady tree and mangoes.

Yup, believe it or not, mangoes are good protection from the sun's UV rays---I mean, shady mango trees.

I was hiking in Cubao and somehow found myself inside Camp Aguinaldo and saw this long swimming pool with thick and lush mango trees near it.

Actually, there were two pools---a kiddie pool and what looked like an Olympic-size swimming pool.

One problem though---the mango trees were huge but their shed wasn't able to reach and cover the pools. It would've been perfect if the shed did.

There was this covered pool somewhere in Laguna that had a sunscreen for a roof and nicely provided shed for us as we swam.

Swimming provides perfect respite for a hiker like me.

Roofs usually made spaces under them dark, but a sunscreen roof allowed filtered light to pass through.

So you enjoy light that doesn't burn your skin.

The swimming pool I'm talking about had a green plastic screen over it that acted as sunscreen and which was kind of thick so that it acted as an effective protection against the sun. At the same time, it prevented leaves from trees near the pool from falling into it.

Some sunscreens are wooden louvers that effectively provide shed and allow enough sunlight to pass through, like the one in the picture on the left.

Sunscreen roofs should be used at home for porches, gardens, terraces, and even as part of your garage, aside from being an urgent protection from the sun for swimming pools today when the atmosphere is being destroyed by climate change and the greenhouse effect.

The image on the left is from www.alucobondusa.com.