Text and photos by ELIZABETH LOLARGA
CONCERNED citizens who care about Baguio are up in arms again.
This time, it is to oppose the commercialization of Burnham park that would further reduce the remaining green, open spaces of Baguio City.
The 2,413 individuals (latest count), who signed a petition opposing the gating and fencing of the park, did so in hopes that Mayor Mauricio Domogan and the city council would see the folly of their argument of keeping out bad elements. Instead, they should take the city towards a sensible, sustainable direction.
Gates and fences will not deter criminals. The petition stated that the argument cited by officials could be addressed by using funds to light up the park, add more security personnel or make the police more visible.
Karlo Marko Altomonte, concerned parent, theater and film artist and Baguio resident, initiated the petition. Although it has snowballed since June, he hasn’t heard from the mayor’s office after he submitted the first set of signatures.
He is aware that “protest movements are exhausting, draining” as proven when residents protested against the privatization of Camp John Hay (CJH) and the felling of pine trees to expand SM City Baguio. He said residents could learn from what worked for these protests, mainly “the people’s love for the environment.”
As for CJH, he conceded that it remains accessible to the public, “but its privatization has made most of us unwelcome there. Entering John Hay is one thing, but what can one do without having to shell out much money? Picnic tables are rented out. The historical core charges entrance fees. Poorer members of the community cannot afford to eat at any restaurant there. They’ve managed to keep us out of John Hay already. Let’s not allow them to do the same in Burnham Park.”
Last Saturday was the start of regular weekend sit-ins and gatherings at the park’s Melvin Jones Football Grounds. This field will be, if official plans are carried out, cemented and fenced to accommodate a night market. However, this move could worsen a bad situation because this area is prone to flooding. Cementing it will result in reducing the area’s water absorption capacity.
Altomonte said the gatherings aim to “voice out our opposition to their ridiculous proposals and at the same time enjoy the park the way it should be enjoyed—freely.” The sit-in, which had people bringing their pets for walks, kids kicking balls, young mothers sunning their babies, also showed “what people would be losing if our leaders get their way,” he added.
He said the petitioners and other sympathizers are not for commercializing Burnham Park because it is “one of the few remaining facilities available to the public where people don’t have to pay to afford some amusement, entertainment.”
“ It’s the only remaining true green space in the central business district. ..The park must remain accessible, particularly to those who have less in life, who cannot afford weekends at the mall or, in the case of a lot of our officials, at the golf course or at the spa of the Country Club,” they argued.
Altomonte warned that gating sent “a strong message to the public—that we should be thankful that they’ve left the gates open today so we can have a day at the park, that it’s a privilege, that we owe it to them.”
He said fencing showed “no regard for the environment, the city’s heritage and the general welfare of the community, just so misdirected initiatives and a twisted sense of development could be forwarded.”
The fencing project will put the bust of architect-city planner Daniel Burnham behind black bars, an irony because he envisioned the park for the enjoyment of the general public.
He underscored the importance of awareness of the city’s heritage and history in cultivating a sense of community among residents. “Only then will the leaders start thinking of ways to balance progress, respect for heritage and sustainability. What we do know is their mindset and sense of progress aren’t sustainable and will lead towards Baguio’s destruction and decay.”
While millions of pesos have been poured into the park’s improvements, Altomonte called the Rose Garden’s renovation “lamentable” because it significantly reduced the natural space in the area.
He said while the new fountain is attractive, the money would have been better spent repairing the fountain at Burnham Lake, the park’s main attraction, which has been left untended for years except for last year’s expensive de-silting. “The bottom line: the Rose Garden now has less garden space,” he concluded.
Another parent, Padma Perez, eloquently wrote why the park should remain free: “Because I personally want my daughters to have a wide, open, safe space downtown to run at full speed and turn cartwheels on even ground and tumble on clean, forgiving grass and get up laughing.”