Pinoys still choose Rizal Park for Christmas
Rizal Park in Manila is still a favorite spot for Filipinos to celebrate Christmas Eve, an official said yesterday.
Gie Arnold, National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) cultural and public affairs chief, said the number of visitors at the park’s central section – where the monument of Dr. Jose Rizal is located – was estimated to be around 30,000 in the morning and early afternoon on Sunday.
More visitors came in at around 4 p.m. and by night, it was already at 50,000, Arnold said.
The number of Filipinos who went to the Rizal Park only showed that despite having a lot of shopping malls, hotels and other places to spend Christmas, Rizal Park still has many patrons.
“It is still a favorite place to go to during Christmas,” Arnold said.
The NPDC held a “meet and greet Santa” on Sunday and a Christmas concert last night.
Arnold said they could not close the gates of the central portion of the 58-hectare park because many people decided to stay there from Sunday night until before dawn yesterday.
Aside from bringing their own food, “you could see the people bringing their blankets and overnight bags to the park,” she said.
Garbage trucks could not be brought into the park due to the number of visitors, making it difficult for NPDC personnel to clean the grounds, Arnold said.