CEPMO to implement 7 priority projects
The City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) will be managing and supervising the implementation of some seven priority park development projects to improve the current state of the city’s major parks and entice more residents and tourists to visit these destinations.
City Environment and Parks Management Officer lawyer Rhenan Diwas disclosed that four of the said projects had already been bid out, two park projects are still awaiting the funds from a foundation to be implemented by the city’s private partner while one project is scheduled for bidding.
He claimed that among the park development projects bid out include the P10 million Baguio Post Office park improvement project, the P19 million Bayan Park improvement project, and the P18 million Arboretum project.
On the other hand, Diwas stipulated that the proposed P19 million Mines View development project and the P8 million-way findings through the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) are still in their preparation stages.
On the other hand, the city government is still closely working with the public works department to ensure that the proposed Lower Wright Park and Upper Wright Park, particularly the Pool of Pines reflection pool, will be aligned with the menu of the budget department on the projects it will fund to help realize the desire of city officials to sustain the development of the city’s major tourist destinations for more people to visit such tourist spots and contribute in the overall efforts to gradually and safely revive the heavily-impacted local economy.
Earlier, the city government opened to the public the newly refurbished Botanical Garden and other major destinations inside the Burnham Park, such as the Children’s Park, as part of the ongoing efforts to ease up on the prevailing restrictions for the gradual and safe revival of the economy that was heavily impacted by the ongoing CoronaVirus Disease (COVID) 2019 pandemic.
Diwas stipulated that the series of lockdowns during the 2-year pandemic allowed the city government to implement the necessary priority park development projects and people can see for themselves the changes introduced that will add up to the attractions of the major tourist destinations around the city.
Moreover, he emphasized that the city government intends to work with concerned government agencies to access financial and technical support to further improve the current state of the city’s parks to provide new attractions to make these destinations must-see places for visitors.
In behalf of the city government, Diwas expressed his gratitude to the concerned stakeholders and government agencies, as well as the private sector, for their continuous support to the city in instituting the appropriate improvements in the city’s major parks to make people want spend their well-deserved break in the city to see for themselves added attractions. – Dexter A. See
