“NO” to Burnham Park as a Theme Park
January 11, 2009 by lisa
Filed under attractions & landmarks
Anthony de Leon wants us to give up this to so visitors to Baguio can ride a roller coaster?
We Need Breathing Space — Desperately!
“Parks are beyond the commerce of man” is an statement pronounced very often by our government officials, and the Philippine courts have provided for a loophole, of course, “except when declared a special economic zone.”
Baguio officials seem to be allergic to trees and plants and soil, with all that lip service to “clean and green” while at the same time making plans to add more concrete and metal (and awful tarpaulin) to ruin the city’s natural beauty. And to accommodate a growing migrant and local population, residential gardens, lawns and yards are making room for more residents and vehicles with house extensions such as extra covered spaces like garages and extra living space. All these moves, because they go unchecked, because they are undertaken without much planning, are actually ruining the city we all love.
The city is doing absolutely nothing about a Metro Baguio. No schools or commercial centers around which residential communities are built are being planned for the areas of Itogon, Sablan or Tuba. The idea of a Metro Baguio is simply designed to build residential subdivisions in those areas while still expecting all schools and business transactions to be made in the area around Session Road, while not rerouting public transportation so that the jeepneys do not begin and end their routes at the Plaza (Central Business District area).
When the Ortigases wanted to develop Greenhills in Metro Manila, they offered La Salle the property for a boys school and Institution Teresiana (now Poveda Learning Centre) the area across the main highway (we now know as EDSA) in Pasig for a girls school.
When my granduncle, Rev. Fr. Francisco Araneta, S.J. decided to buy that property on “No Man’s Land” where Ateneo de Manila University now stands on Katipunan Road in Quezon City, he was severely criticized for a “bad business decision” with folks thinking that any place outside of the center of Manila was not going to succeed, and just look at that area now! It has provided an anchor for so much development, both commercial and residential in an area that folks were afraid to even go to half a century ago.
And honestly, just look at the performance of the top schools of the Philippines — do you not see a direct relation between campus size and beauty with the performance of the students and the school? UP has hundred of acacia-filled hectares, so does Ateneo. Again, take a look at the 35-hectare Silliman University in Dumaguete, for that matter!
Folks are drawn to cities because, more than the fact that they offer modern conveniences, cities fill our craving for human interaction. Who can you talk to in a rice field, really? Where does one find a husband in a forest? How do we know our ideas are correct if we have no one to debate with? But cities also cause a lot of stress, and distraction, and even crime. The way to counter the ill effects of congestion or even “concretization” would be to provide as much green space as possible.
As a potted plant brightens up a room, and a beautiful flower in a vase lights up a cluttered desk, so does a park provide the essential respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. So with Baguio City filled with buildings, and cars and people, all the more do we need that one center of relaxation where we can all breathe.
Theme Parks are Always Located in the Suburbs
Take a look at Disneyland in Anaheim California or even Magic Kingdon in Santa Rosa, Laguna in the Philippines. These amusement parks are not located in the heart of a bustling city. And a city as tiny as Baguio cannot accommodate a large theme park in its center.
When we won the bid for Halfway House in Camp John Hay, I was interviewed informally by the restaurant guests in the a branch of our family-run steak house about what the plans for the Camp John Hay development. It turns out they were the owners of the Hyatt Terraces Baguio property and they were then on “wait and see” mode (that was around 1992 and the hotel was damaged during the 1990 earthquake) as to what they were going to do with what was once prime property in the City of Pines. I told them that there were plans of awarding Camp John Hay to a private developer, they intimated that they were planning to develop the property on South Drive into a theme park, a place of happiness and music and light. It was a good idea that was going to require the passage of time so that all the dark memories of that disaster would eventually wane.
Actually, should Baguio City have a theme park, I would think that even South Drive is too close to the city center, and that Tuba, or even Beckel will be a better location. Actually having visited the Balatoc Mines for the underground mines tour, we had a chance to drive around the area (we were looking for Balatoc Lake) and now I am thinking that Balatoc in Itogon, Benguet would be a fabulous area for a theme park.
Locating a theme park within the heart of the city will cause unbelievable traffic conditions, too. Theme parks also require a huge area for parking. So the suggestion that we put roller coaster rides in the city center for the sake of creating an additional attraction is not very well thought out.
Baguio City Should Stop Trying to Go Into Business for Itself as a Building Developer and Lessor
Although the Local Government Code of the Philippines grants this power to the local government units, a better management would actually be for the city to provide a progressive business environment and collect business taxes instead of hiring more personnel, investing capital into buildings and business start-up.
Honestly the pittance that the city earns from the biking, boating concessionaires in Burnham Park will not even make dent in the city’s earnings. But other businesses, like medium sized restaurants, factories and stores will not only generate business income for the city, they will also provide employment, and the city will not have to bring out any capital.
We just...
What a great way to cap my lunch, Lisa! I’d like to have what I just read sink in first.
Hi Resty, a blog post as dessert? That’s a first!
A most delicious dessert, Lisa, hehe. I would also like to acknowledge that Mr. de Leon did a good job with Session in Bloom last year. However, I beg to disagree with him when he says Burnham is already an amusement park. Here’s a quote from Mr. Jonathan Best:
“Amusement parks are designed to be exciting, noisy and commercial while formal gardens are decorative showcases for plants. Green parks are designed to provide piece and quiet, open space, fresh air and a direct link to unspoiled nature.”
Amusement centers make use of mechanical equipment that need power to make them move. Thus they use fuel and electricity and are noisy. Whereas the bicycles, boats and skates he refers to are human-powered and do not make use of fuel nor electricty and don’t make noise.
I still believe that everything Burnham Park needs to be is laid out in Mr. Best’s piece. May I add two quotes:
“Buildings, roadways and other artificial man-made structures are deliberately kept to a minimum so as not conflict with the natural environment of a green park.”
“Without a doubt the greatest threat to the park is from the ever-increasing number of cars, buses, and jeepneys which are allowed to park on the perimeters and directly inside the park. Motor vehicles do not belong in a park.”
As you have said, why is this so hard to do? We need a refuge from all the congestion, noise and air pollution going in the city. And Burnham should be that place.
I like Burnham park the way it is,even though several changes were made.I can imagine the horrific traffic once it becomes a theme park.No please.
in my opinion I’d like the city government to make Burnham park a theme park provided ifthe theme is The” original Baguio burnham park.”
Hi Eugene, yup the center of city is too congested already for us to even try to locate a new attraction there.
Hello Ed, you’re right! The original Burnham Park was planned by a premier urban planner. The current one is a hodgepodge of activities based on the whims of politicians with their own pet projects.
“The current one is a hodgepodge of activities based on the whims of politicians with their own pet projects.” -Lisa
That’s because if they screw it up, they don’t lose anything. It’s not like it’s their own personal property or personal money that’s at stake. Remember Jadewell? That company’s got us by our balls. Up to now, the city cannot even touch the Ganza parking area which is owned by the city and not Jadewell.
Oh but the Ganza thing was all about patronage. During Mauricio Domogan’s last term as mayor the deal was quietly was signed awarding 80% of revenues from collections of parking fees to Jadewell PLUS prime real estate space (Burnham Park). And what do we do? Elect the same people over and over again for multiple terms!
Its because politicians have everything to gain by their projects. Honestly, which projects that the public officials have undertaken benefits the city? Flyover, satellite markets cum migrant living spaces, overpasses, toilets/outhouses, bumper cars at the skating rink. The only ones I can think of are footpaths, but even then, those benefit only the homesteaders.
Baguio is getting smaller and we not have enough parking space to accommodate a fraction of vehicles on the street in downtown Baguio likewise we cannot also sacrifice the original beauty of our park landscapes but with enough budget and intelligent planning we can however have a win win solution here.In Korea where the land terrain is almost like Baguio,Parks in the middle of the bustling cities were left undisturbed and they are building even more.Its because under most of these parks is where the parking spaces and shops are,it is an underground multi parking level that even a small park can accommodate large number of vehicles and hardly anyone can notice it.Baguio doesn’t need a multi level underground parking for the fear of earthquake but then a single level can already do wonder.Imagine how many vehicles can the whole football ground in Melvin jones absorb.Its an engineering feat but at least Burham park can still retain its original landscape sans the ugly parking space by jadewell there.
Hi Ed,
I agree with any underground parking, the less cement over Burnham Park the better, with a few shops if they like because anything below a park can be “within the commerce of man.”
The city council should stop thinking of Burnham Park as Burnham Parking.
If I’m not mistaken, San Francisco which is also earthquake country, has an underground multi-parking area right in the heart of downtown in Union Square? Having one will surely cost big but will pay off in the long run.
Hi Resty,
All the times I’ve gone to San Francisco we never parked there, but I am thinking, in all places that are hit by earthquakes, there are buildings with underground parking so why should parking beneath a park be any more dangerous? Like what is more dangerous about digging under Burnham Park compared to say, Center Mall or Abanao Square?
And it might not even be an engineering feat anymore, like Ed Villanueva’s comment (above) mentions. Building a long underwater tunnel to connect Hong Kong and Kowloon islands, for example would be called an engineering feat.
It’s water under the bridge, but if we had enough foresight, the place where Baguio Center Mall is now would have made a perfect place for a multi-level parking area. But all is not lost, have the owner of that area where Star Cafe used to be invest in a parking structure, give him the support, etc. and save Burnham Park from destruction.
I used to hear that the Puyats owned that property; that they were originally planning to erect a 14 or 17 storey structure thereon but since the plan came after the earthquake, they were not permitted to do so.
Maybe UB and UC should be require to provide for parking buildings so their teachers, students, staff and owners do not park their vehicles all day on Session, Governor Pack, Harrison, Gen. Luna and Assumption roads.
There should also be time limits, not just parking fees. CBD should have the first two hours cheap and all succeeding hours expensive.
Jeepneys should always be moving, never stalled or parked to be filled up with passengers. This is how we see that we have an excess of routes and units. They do take up a lot of the parking downtown UNNECESSARILY.
Indeed we need a huge parking space to reduce vehicles parking besides the road that causes huge taffic jam during rush hours and the only way we can do now is for the city to provide a space underground.It will be too costly like Resty said but its worth it in the long run.And from what I know the underground edifice is safer than anybuilding higher than 4 floors above the ground,this is the reason why San Francisco and cities in Japan still built multi level underground buildings.
If Burnham Park becomes a theme park what it will be called? I am just wondering but I hope really, really, truly, (Lord have mercy) HOPE that they do not make Burnham into a theme park.
Oshangnanamet! (Lisa, refer to Nico for translation) Are they blind? That is the only remaining green patch in the central business district.
I am stumped by this news.
Lis, I forwarded this to Mr. De Leon.
I am seething I do not know what to say or write. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Hi Ed,
Multilevel parking below ground is the way to go, even single level if it is below Melvin Jones, as you mentioned or Athletic Bowl.
Hey Marionne,
Peter Rey Bautista has given it the thumbs down — so far. Your ex-boss feels the need for Baguio to have new attractions and I agree, but folks should stop wanting to touch Burnham Park (everybody) or Botanical Garden (Farinas).
Coming up, an article on my Baguio Attractions Wish List.
Hi Lisa!
How’re you doin, Arwin?! Glad you found the site
Burnham park is the only green space in the CBD, and we all know that baguio is very polluted now. Why make it to other things that will only make Baguio’s pollution worse?
You’re right, Neis, and to even suggest a theme park be put up there is unbelievable. Maybe it would be better all of us to ACTIVELY work on cleaning up the city first and making it prettier, before dreaming up of new things.
One thing for sure. I’m not going to vote for all these blokes who would like to destroy Burnham Park such as mayor Bautista and councilor Rondez come 2010.
I’m old school myself. The park is nice na. Theme park would only keep low income people out and line politicians pockets. I miss Bagio before it got so crowded. I live in a place being over ran by non native people.