Burnham parking opposed
OVER 3,000 are up in arms in opposition over plans to set up a parking lot at Burnham Park.
The online petition
posted at change.org on August 9 by the "Baguio We Want Forum" now has 3,268 supporters, joining the opposition to building structure at the park.
Petitioners said "The park is for people, not for cars”
The "Baguio We Want Forum" is joined by civil society organizations, concerned citizens who wish to put on record our vigorous objection to the construction of any vehicle parking structure within the Burnham Park Reservation.
The move was made in the city council via a resolution introduced by Councilors Benny Bomogao, Michael Lawana, and Faustino Olowan, “Requesting for the Construction of a Podium Car Parking in the City of Baguio, particularly at the area of Ganza, in between Orchidarium and the Children’s Park, Former Pantranco and the whole stretch of the city Library."
Lawana said the resolution is an initial move and plans and designs will still have to be reviewed.
Olowan said the structure he will allow if plans push through will be at the vicinity of the old library as he welcomed the opposition made online.
The petition said "the proposed podium car park in the area of Burnham Park is the anti-thesis of what park should be. It poses a continuing threat to the shrinking green spaces in Baguio City and will cause adverse consequences to the heritage, culture, health and well-being of the people.
The petition noted reasons in sparing the park from housing a parking lot citing Burnham is an aquifer, an important source of water in the city with diminishing water supply and been declared as significant historical site by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Burnham Park, the petition ads host to various activities including sports, family picnics, and cultural events and has been witness to many important events in the City of Baguio including the papal visit of Pope John Paul II in 1981 and during the devastating earthquake in 1990 as it was the only area large enough to hold temporary shelters for the victims.
The group said setting up a parking lot will contribute to global warming "because it will encourage the use of more carbonemitting, pollutionproducing vehicles and it will further reduce the city’s heat-absorbing non-concrete surface moisture."
Petitioners noted Burnham Park is a park reservation – a recreation ground. Management, maintenance and administration of Burnham Park by the City Government of Baguio is limited by law so it “cannot encumber, mortgage or alienate any portion of the Park and use thereof shall be limited only to recreation and tourism-related activities.” The construction and operation of a podium car park would be in violation of this provision."