Bishop: Scrap defective Burnham Park project

BAGUIO CITY -- Bishop Carlito Cenzon urged the city government to immediately cancel the multi million-peso contract it had entered into with a contractor for the rehabilitation of Burnham Park, the primary tourist destination in this mountain resort city.

He said the children’s playground, which is being rehabilitated by an allegedly poor performing contractor, is not a world-class facility, and so there is need to cancel the contract so that it could be awarded to other contractors.

During a recent inspection, a team found “obvious defects” in some of the park’s facilities, it was learned.

Victor Agcaoili, chairman of the bishop’s “Adopt a Fence” project, said it is just proper for the city government to rescind the contract for the rehabilitation of the playground because it is not worth it.

The bishop’s inspection team had earlier reported to the city government the alleged defects which reportedly included “protruding knots and volts and sharp edges of equipment which put at risk the children who will be playing in the park.

But Bishop Cenzon said he is hopeful the city government would find a remedy to the problem before July 30, the date of the ceremonial painting to be done by city officials in the playground.

If no concrete action is done on this pressing concern, Cenzon said, the team would proceed with its earlier plan to request the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the project.

The city government has earmarked at least P16 million for the upgrading of Burnham Park, including the children’s playground, in preparation for the city’s centennial anniversary on Sept. 1, 2009.

Under the original schedule, the project was set to be finished by the first quarter of this year, but because of reported negative slippages in the work, the contractor requested for two extensions of time to complete it.

Included in the program of work is the construction of a large gazebo near the entrance, installation of rubber matting on the pavement with cartoon characters on the route, and all-metal structures coated or covered with rubber for the safety and protection of the children.

But the contractor is allegedly way behind schedule, raising doubts over its capability to complete the project on or before the deadline which is before the centennial anniversary of the city.

Cenzon has initiated a fund-raising drive for the fencing of the children’s playground by conducting several golf tournaments.

Observers said the fences constructed on the effort of the bishop are now becoming a tourist attraction, but the original form of the children’s playground has yet to be restored. – Dexter A. See