Baguio wants to own Burnham Park; P3.2B eyed for development

PARK BLOOMS A woman carrying a bouquet of flowers passes through Burnham Park’s Rose Garden. Once restrictions on movement eased, Burnham has become a sanctuary for residents, and the occasional tourists, who wanted a breather from the pandemic. —EV ESPIRITU

BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — Mayor Benjamin Magalong wants Burnham Park titled to the city government following a discussion on Monday about a new P3.2-billion master plan for its redevelopment.

A 2008 executive order issued by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo granted Baguio full authority to govern and develop the park that was named after its designer, Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.

But like all national parks, this more than a century-old park is owned by the national government through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, which has custody of all assets of the defunct Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

The mayor said it would be best for the city if it had proprietary control over one of the most recognized parks in the country.

Magalong agreed with councilors, like Philian Weygan-Allan and Isabelo Cosalan Jr., who raised that option to protect the government’s investments in the park’s modernization during the executive-legislative assembly.

The 35-hectare Burnham Park was established and separated from the Baguio townsite reservation through Proclamation No. 64 in 1925, or 16 years after the American colonial government built this city.

Burnham designed the country’s only two planned cities—Baguio and Manila—at the start of the 20th century.

Then-President Ferdinand Marcos transferred the Baguio park to the PTA in 1981. In 1995, then-President Fidel Ramos restored Baguio’s management control over Burnham through Executive Order No. 224.

Devolved

In 2008, Arroyo devolved Burnham Park operations to Baguio through Executive Order No. 695.

“Aside from [its] administration, maintenance, management and operation as provided by [EO 224], the control and further development of Burnham Park, including all facilities and improvements …, are hereby transferred from the PTA to the city government of Baguio,” the Arroyo order said.

Based on EO 695, the Baguio government “shall have full control of the administration, operation, management, maintenance and further development of Burnham Park” and all revenues earned at the park “shall accrue to the treasury of the city government of Baguio … for the operation, management and maintenance of the park.”

But according to the same Arroyo order, the city “shall not encumber, mortgage or alienate any portion of the Burnham Park unless approved by the Secretary of Tourism.”

“Can’t we own it?” Allan asked during the meeting, drawing Magalong’s support.

Owning Burnham Park may remove all restrictions that could hamper its redevelopment, the mayor said.

Magalong directed the city legal office to help facilitate an application for a special title to cover the park, which includes the man-made lake, the athletic bowl and a small tree park called Pine Trees of the World.

—VINCENT CABREZA