Baguio set for rehab but not Boracay style

BAGUIO CITY -- This summer capital is set for rehabilitation by the government but it will not be closed down Boracay style.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said this will include a comprehensive program to address the city's environmental issues and boost tourism.

A high-level meeting between the national government and Baguio City officials started last week to for pproject implementation.

The secretaries of the Tourism, Environment, and Interior departments  inspected Baguio City on Friday.

The Dept. of Tourism said an inter-agency meeting with the Baguio City local government unit tackled the “prevailing problems that ail the premiere tourist site, such as over-tourism.”

Also discussed were possible sustainable infrastructure rehabilitation projects “on the urban carrying capacity” of Baguio City and the other five municipalities of the province of Benguet: La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay. Plans to redevelop and decongest the City of Pines will also be discussed, the DOT said.

                Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año visited popular destinations in Baguio such as Burnham Park, Wright Park, and Mines View Park.

The three secretaries also visited Baguio City’s sewage treatment plant and the Balili river as well as the sanitary landfill in Barangay Irisan.

“The commitment to our mandate to sell and protect our natural attractions remains our paramount objective. It is a shared responsibility, however, among government and our people to be responsible stewards of our planet,” Puyat said.

The local government presented priority projects like development of Burnham Park, youth convergence center, pay parking buildings, improving quality of waste water, water quality management and solid waste management to top officials of the Tourism, Interior and Local Government and Environment departments.

               Earlier, Magalong said Burnham Park will be closed from March to October 2020 for refurbishing.

The Tourism department has allotted funds for the park's rehabilitation.

The park, designed by American engineer Daniel Burnham a century ago, is home to the man-made Burnham Lake, Children's Playground, Skating Rink, Rose Garden, Orchidarium, Igorot Park, Melvin Jones Grandstand, Athletic Bowl, Picnic Grove, Japanese Peace Tower, Pine Trees of the World, and the Sunshine Park.

The park's rehabilitation is expected to take about eight months and cost P500 million.

A priority for rehabilitation is fixing the park's drainage system to prevent flooding.

The drainage repairs are estimated to cost P100 million.  

Baguio City’s market, another tourist spot, will also be rehabilitated in phases.

The makeover, to be done over two years, will cost at least P5 billion.

Magalong said this would turn it from "one of the worst markets in the entire country to one of the best.” 

The city is also preparing to host the quarterly board meeting of the Asian Development Bank in March.

Baguio City is availing of a P20-billion soft loan and grant for the city's waste water management and the provision of adequate potable water for its growing population.

"Champion teams" of the city government are being prepared for each of the priority development projects to ensure their success, Magalong said.