Burnham Park Fence Project Opposed

The Burnham Park Fencing Project was inititated by the group of Baguio Benguet Bishop Carlito Cenzon and businessman Vic Agcaoili. The fencing project was envisioned to make the park safer for visitors and residents. The project started in 2009, with of donations collected by the bishop’s group for the fencing the park. After the project was stalled due to lack of sponsors President Benigno Aquino III released the needed funds through the Department of Public Works and Highways in 2011 to complete the fencing of Burnham Park. Acting Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the Public Works department released P25 million for the fencing of Burnham Park.

At the completion of the fencing project last year, this drew the ire of Councilor Perlita Chan-Rondez who claimed the park should be an open space and free from obstructions.The lady councilor in a council session then added the fencing project was overpriced and not in accordance with the Burnham Park Master Development Plan spearheaded by the University of the Cordilleras.

Now as the project finalizes the gates being put up in front of Rizal Park, social netizens have taken their opposition to the placing of gates at Burnham Park through social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. A group of Baguio residents have stepped up their efforts to protest the placein of gates in Burnham Park to control public entry.

 

Burnham gate in front of Rizal Park

Karlo Marko Altomonte, a playwright and director and a staunch organizer of the biggest environmental rally in the history of the Summer Capital, has taken his cause online by calling on local officials led by Mayor Mauricio Domogan and the City Council to keep the 32.88-hectare Burnham Park green, open, and beyond the commerce of man.

The petition was placed online through the website Change.org and garnered more than 1,400 signatures to date since it was placed in the website last June 6 under the topic:  “Baguio Mayor Domogan: Keep Burnham Park Green, Free from commercialization. According to the petitioners, the park remains as the most accessible and affordable amusement facility for majority of the residents of the city, and placing gates in the park would discourage the public from further enjoying the space.

“The petitioners oppose the planned concreting of portions of the Melvin Jones Football Grounds. Burnham Park is the only remaining green space in the Central Business District of Baguio City and such is essential to the well-being of the community. What Melvin Jones Football Grounds needs is the improvement of the pitch by clearing of it of debris and the maintenance of the grass cover for the enjoyment of both local athletes and families for activities such as picnics, etc. Perhaps the funds allotted for this can be used instead to re-pave the badly dilapidated biking area, the installation of gates for it will serve no practical purpose and will only be a waste of precious public funds. Security concerns may be better addressed with the addition of more security personnel and lighting. The group “opposes both ongoing and further commercialization of Burnham Park, including the proposed privatization of the Athletic Bowl, which must remain beyond the commerce of man for the welfare of the general public. Even the skating rink has for some time now been limited to those who can afford to either rent skates from or pay a rink fee to the concessionaire, which should be free and open to the public.”

Almonte is calling for Filipinos nationwide to sign the online petition and tweeted “Make Baguio one of the APEC cities in 2015. Hmm. Doubt it unless you fix up your city first. KEEP BURNHAM.”