Burnham Park Developed More As an Amusement Park
Above is a photo (no — it’s not a painting) of Burnham Park through photographer Ric Maniquis’ eyes. We took a photo of it during the Burnham Park Exhibit at SM City Baguio (by the lower parking basement level elevators), that will run until March 31, 2008.
To protect the image, I have added a watermark for the protection of Ric’s intellectual property.
On one side are photos of a Baguio growing up, while the other features recent images of Burnham Park. Ric, along with Ompong Tan, two of the artists whose works were being shown, said that the challenge is to find an ‘empty’ Burnham Park these days (in taking photos of the landscape).
For Baguio’s premier park is most popular for families and friends who enjoy the only wide open space in the Central Business District of Baguio. For where trees used to stand are now multi-storey buildings that have engulfed the city’s landscape.
On that occasion, Councilor Perlita “Pinky” Chan-Rondez was guest speaker, and she excitedly revealed the politician’s plans for a massive re-design of Burnham Park. One thing that stood out in her speech was the promise that Burnham Park was to be a GREEN PARK (I led the applause that interrupted this speech for a bit to show how we did want Burnham Park to be precisely a green park).
After the speech came the talk of how our government leaders define a GREEN PARK. We did not trust that they knew what they were saying. A green park is a park where nothing much happens, except the enjoyment of nature. It is a wide expanse of green meadows, much like the Royal Parks of London.
It is alarming therefore, to read a recent news article on the city’s plans to pour in so much money, P144M initially, into Burnham Park for infrastructure projects that begins with the children’s playground.
To this project they plan to add a teenager’s area for exteme sports, then a major rehab of the Athletic bowl. I have been told that they plan to OF COURSE open up an area for a commercial establishments such as fast food franchises in this area.
In other words, Burnham Park will not be a GREEN PARK for relaxation but an AMUSEMENT PARK for recreation. In fact, the city will not treat it as a necessary expense to provide breathing space for a highly, uglified, commercial city in the mountains — they will in fact position Burnham Park as a low-rise commercial center with children’s activities to draw in the crowds. Our politicians see Burnham Park as prime real estate for commercial activities.
One would argue that Burnham Park is already an amusement park. Well that’s because we have allowed commerce into the park. There are carinderias for taxi drivers, there are flea markets. There are so many bikes for rent. There are so many lazy itinerant vendors who sit around with their wares (I call them lazy because they do not render a service by making lako to the residential communities — they just go where the people are and sit there). But like I say, to make Baguio beautiful again, LESS IS MORE.
In the words of Gene De Gua, we must protect EVERY INCH of green space in Burnham Park. We do need Burnham Park to be just a safe outdoor promenade, where we can walk, read, commune, jog and relax.
But in true Filipino fashion, our politicians feel that we must fill up open spaces with the same stores that can be found a few hundred meters away. No imagination and creativity at work here.
Baguio has about 140,000 students. Our schools do not provide them with a playground or recreation areas. They stuff students into buildings, concerned only with the money they will earn from delivering government-standard average education.
The Baguio mayor is the owner of one of the biggest schools in Baguio. His family, along with others is directly responsible for the congestion in the Central Business District, which is now full of cellphone shops, xerox centers, gaming internet shops and carinderias, 2nd hand clothing shops.
Their school cannot be called a true campus but merely a cluster of buildings, three of which were damaged in a recent fire. They do not have a playground, or even a quadrangle where students can gather.
The local governments, made powerful by Aquilino Pimentel’s Local Government Code, should not go into this kind of business for itself, because it is incompetent to do so. Business should be reserved for private business who provide capital and expertise for the running of the same, and who will take the necessary risks of making or losing the money. The city should merely regulate and collect taxes, and provide park areas for its residents.
And more than anything PARKS SHOULD BE BEYOND THE COMMERCE OF MAN.
Should we allow this travesty, we are saying goodbye to the last bastion of beauty and relaxation in Baguio. We are calling like minded people, those who are concerned about the quality of their lives to join us in this effort to reclaim our city as a wholesome relaxation center to join us in becoming more active participants in the re-building of our city and our nation.
You can do this by: commenting on this site, commenting on the mayor’s blog
- Maintaining your own blog, commenting on this site
- Writing to the mayor, commenting on the mayor’s blog
- Writing Letters to the Editor of the Baguio newspapers
- Telling others how you feel and waking them up, too.
- Joining us in the 3rd Baguio PAGASA workshop this April 21 (details to follow)
- Supporting green initiatives such as the bikers, artists, environmentalists
Wake up, Baguio!
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umm lisa, tsk tsk, kitschy kitschy thing to do. we are living in inverted times. what used to be bad bad, is now good good. what used to be bad taste is now good taste. eversince we voted the likes of their honors, domogan and vergara, everyone seems to be infected with it.
it was then mayor domogan who opened up burnham for parking space, particularly the road between the lake and the skating rink. then sir vergara introduced kitsch in baguio. and baguio was never the same.
if people want amusement, the different malls provide it. so why sacrifice burnham for another amusement place to go? haay, diak maawatan.
Amusement Park eh? Yes, I agree that government leaders doesn’t know what a GREEN PARK means. [Maybe their definition of a green park is a park that generate greens or money in short]They have a lot of plans for Burnham but in my eyes, its all a cover up because they grew sick of maintaining the park. [If you notice the city government is becoming less and less concerned about the health of the park. Hell, they don’t care to even remove the vandalisms in the park itself] All they want is income income and more income. They forgot that they went into those government positions to be a PUBLIC SERVANT not to be a PUBLIC PARASITE.
It all boils down into this simple question:
Is it so hard to address what the public needs?
Hay naku, Resty,
Baguio it appears is a reflection of the times and the residents’ tastes, too. We elect politicians into office too easily (without requiring a program of action from them during the campaign) that they believe they’re architects and urban planners and businessmen.
We elect them, they reflect our taste.
But all is not lost — we rally together, we do not lose hope, we wake up everyone we know and talk to regarding this travesty. We can do this together!
Acid Rayne, you’re absolutely right!
Why is it so hard for them to address what we need — trees, water, sidewalks, clean air, etc.?
They are addressing the need to ‘amuse’ us so that, like children, we become distracted and not look deeper into their shenanigans.
“They are addressing the need to ‘amuse’ us so that, like children, we become distracted and not look deeper into their shenanigans.” - unfortunately, most of the people here in Baguio are victims of this.
Ironically, most people became indifferent that they just don’t care about it anymore.
Come one people of Baguio!
Don’t be indifferent! You can only be indifferent when you are dead!
Don’t let yourselves be abused even by the government! If we don’t act, they will just continue to oppress us.
If you want to be governed by Tyrants, go ahead and be indifferent. Maging manhid, bulag at bingi kayo. But If you want to do something for the future generations, act accordingly. Let the city government, and national government, know of what the people needs.
Its our right to be free men, use that right. If not, you maybe as dead as a corpse can be.
Hi Lisa,
The following is a paragraph from Reclaiming the concrete jungle under the column, Living Architecture by Marcos de Guzman Jr. In today’s issue of Phil Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2008:
“Homes are built leaving no space for a garden. Even the parks and open spaces allocated by the government are being converted into barangay halls, covered ball courts, police precincts, or parking spaces. Because the intention is worthy, most communities misconstrue that utilizing these open spaces for buildings is a sign of progress and common good. Sadly, the ecological balance in the area and the need for healthy breathing spaces are disregarded.”
Here’s the link:http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/theenvironmentreport/view.php?db=1&article=20080404-128460
Hi Resty,
Most times, the motives for doing so are not even good — as far as barangay halls, covered ball courts, police precincts, or parking spaces, these are projects that the local government personnel undertake as a way to derive personal kickbacks from ‘projects.’
‘If we don’t spend all that is in the budget this year, next year we will receive a smaller allocation.’
I’am not from Baguio but I do share your sentiments. What we lack nowadays are really green spaces in our cities and towns. Regrettably, our political leaders appear to have a different notion of what is best for us. They insist that more buildings and other infrastructural projects are much better than having open spaces. They think that these spaces serve nothing and are just waste of land resources. They do not know or just plain indifferent to the idea that we need to have open and green spaces to breathe and relax. We must knock some sense into their heads before they sell us all to skewed real estate developments all in the name of skewed sense of progress…
The atmosphere in Burnham is not even conducive to reading a book. Parang maalikabok kasi ang dating niya. Still lacks the much needed and truly clean and green space it should be. Jonathan Best talked about the grass wearng thin, and it still is up to now. Wish they’d concentrate on upgrading the grass even before they add more flowers and plants.
Hep, hep, hep, sandali lang, mga lola at lolo!
What’s wrong with Pinky Rondez’s and/or the Baguio Government Plan for Burnham Park?
Then way I see it –
(1) I will be able to afford bringing my kids to a place with trees. Isang jeep lang ang sasakyan namin, may paper tree na na makikita ang mga anak ko. Kasama na din ang cement log buildings na mukhang trees. Naku, hindi na siguro mapapansin ng bata yung dipirensiya! Tutal, bata pa naman sila, at ipapasok ko naman sila sa iskuwelahan ng mayor.
(2) May mabibilhan ako ng murang pagkain para sa aking mga chikiting. Hello???? For only P20, I could provide nutritious boiled sweet corn for each of my kids. I am even 100% sure that their immune systems will be boosted because the BFAD or whatever government agency that is supposed to check the food handlers have not checked these vendors or the food they sell. Wala kaya silang “Seal or Permit to engage in business”. May nakita ka na bang naka-attach sa kanilang kariton? Plus, libreng agents lurking in the air that has exhaust from the jeepneys and buses plying Burnham Park. Or parked in Burnham Park that will later be revved to start. I figured, siguro naman, bawas gastos ko na yan sa asthma medications or respiratory ailment medications dahil lalaki ang mga anak kong naturally defensive. Matibay ang tiyan, matibay ang lungs. Baka pa matibay sa sentimento ng Environmentalists.
(3) At habang nag-eenjoy ang mga chikiting, eh, di puwede akong mag-liwaliw sa mga Starbucks (Ang mahal kaya ng kape nila! Ibig sabihin, ang may afford lang niyan, may kaya… at pag nagsuot ako ng mini skirt, eh, baka may mabingwit pa… Forget daytoy lakay ko nga kurang sweldo na!), at ano pa mang kapihan ang gusto nila. Tsismis kasi sa akin, mumamahal na ang rates sa Country Club at John Hay … at dahil wala ng gaanong foreigners or foreign firms dito, eh di kumokonti na pala ang nakakapunta doon… hmmm… ang Burnham, okay na para sa mga dating may P (pera, pisonalidad, at punyetang Privilege “whatever” na yan)
(4) P… Pwede na din akong magtinda sa Burnham. Para makakuha ng Green bucks na banggit nung nag-comment sa blog na ito diyan sa itaas…. After all, di ba all we need is money? Pag may money ka, may honey ka, life is sweet.
(5) Ang Baguio, gawa ng Lord. Libre naman ito eh. Kaya para kay Pinky at ng City Government, everyone has a RIGHT to enjoy Burnham Park. Anong Privilege, privilege to live in Baguio ang sinasabi nitong katabi ko? Eh, libre nga eh! E, di go Burnham Park/Amusement Park/whatever.
Ang tanong na “Ano nga ba ang Green?” hawig na ng kanta ni Kuh Ledesma na “Sino ang tunay na Baliw?”
Gets niyo? Or kiss my pwets?
Hi Bernard,
“They think that these spaces serve nothing and are just waste of land resources.”
Yup! They want to plant buildings not trees. They want us to suffer, live to survive, be dependent on them for the patronage they bestow upon the citizens using the citizens’ hard earned money.
Hi Resty,
More plants, better grass (no more motorcross events that tear up Melvin Jones, Mr. Mayor, please!), more shade, no jeepney depots or parked cars within, a bigger lake (wishful thinking), less bicycle stalls, no turo-turo, no illegal vendors pestering you and Burnham Park is back in the game!
The only thing I agree with with the Burnham Plan is the children’s playground rehab (but honestly even that can go.
Let the kids play the games we played — touch ball, tumbang preso, patintero, sipa. Let their imaginations run wild, let them run wild in the park. Kite flying on Sundays might be nice…
Lola with a High Kick,
You funny, you sarcastic. Sigue na nga! Lahat tayo mag-illegal vendor na rin!
Living in Baguio IS a privilege, though.
They talk about developing the park but right now they cannot even cut the grass so the park looks shabby all around. And the roads badly need a fresh asphalt overlay. It’s so easy to ‘develop’ but after that, what? Can we afford it’s upkeep? Go for the KISS(keep it simple, sweetie) principle to keep maintenance costs down.
Hiya Resty,
Honestly, Burnham Park is beautiful as it is — landscaping, clearing, cleaning, greening lang. The money would be better spent maintaining it as a peaceful wide expanse of green.
Leave amusement to the malls and private business — nothing the government does these days is amusing anyway…