THE planned rehabilitation of Burnham Park in Baguio City by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) of the Department of Tourism (DOT) is a welcomed development.
The historical and tourism values of Burnham Park are undeniable. When one speaks of Baguio City, the “picture” of Burnham Park always comes to mind. The Park is obviously one of the established faces of the country’s Summer Capital.
The current state of Burnham Park does not give Baguio City a beautiful face.
It is really commendable for Tieza and DOT to initiate the rehabilitation of Burnham Park even if Executive Orders issued by then Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo effectively gave the responsibilities of administering, maintaining, managing and operating the Park to the Baguio City government.
Indeed, on matters of value to the Filipino public, all concerned government agencies should collaborate and do not allow “territorial” issues to hinder public service actions.
In the Burnham Park rehabilitation initiative, the expertise and financial resources of Tieza and DOT will be at play. The administration, maintenance, management and operations of the Park will remain with the local government of Baguio City after the rehabilitation.
The scope and nature of the Burnham Park rehabilitation are interesting subjects.
It was reported that the rehabilitation will be guided by the Baguio plan drawn by architect Daniel Burnham in the early 1900s. Having such guide is essential to preserve or maintain the historical value of the Park, particularly by sticking to the original concept of having the Park as the Baguio City’s “breathing space”. Moreover, Burnham Park should remain to be an integral part of the whole concept of what Baguio City is or should be.
However, it is also a good idea to rehabilitate the Park by introducing physical and other concept improvements that will increase its value as long as its historical significance is not sacrificed.
Burnham Park, being a 34-hectare property at the center of Baguio City, has lots of potentials in attracting more tourists or visitors not only to it but to the whole city. It also has the potential of being the rightful face of the City.
Let us all forward to a rehabilitated Burnham Park – one that does not showcase the rich history of Baguio City but also mirror the richness of the culture and the development potentials of our country’s Summer Capital.
