The iconic Burnham Park

Architect Daniel Burnham was one of the foremost urban planners in the United States at the turn of the 20th century.

This was just when that country was starting its colonization of the Philippines.

One of the first things that the US colonial government did as soon as civil order was established was to bring Burnham to the country in 1904 to plan for the projected expansion of the City of Manila.

This was also about the time the Americans first visited Baguio in 1900 and were pleasantly surprised to find an oasis in the tropics high up in the mountains with a comfortable temperature all year round.

To take advantage of Burnham’s presence in the country, he was invited to Baguio to make a plan for its future development.

His original plan was for a community of about 25,000 people.

That number has, of course, swelled to more than 350,000 people today.

Unlike Manila which was already more than 300 years old by that time, Baguio was going to be built from scratch. It remains to be the only city in the country built by the Americans.

After exploring the place for several days, Burnham eventually submitted a rough city plan.

Part of this plan was a park situated in a valley surrounded by several hills like the Constabulary Hill which is now Camp Allen, Luneta Hill which is now where the SM mall is, and so forth.

This park was eventually named in his honor and, today, as it was in the City’s earlier days, is still the center of many activities in the city. It remains to this day the premier tourist attraction of the City.

In many ways, the Park defines the city.

It is therefore, essential that it remains pristine, clean, attractive with enough open space for everyone to enjoy always.

Right now, it is the city that is managing the park having titled the land encompassing the entire park.

This, however, is being challenged by the Department of Tourism which had managed the park in the past.

But let us leave that controversy aside and concentrate on looking at what is happening to the park.

Original and long term residents of the city know what the park was then and the many changes happening over the years.

For one, it has been transformed into many other things aside from just being a leisure park which I am sure would have dismayed Daniel Burnham if he were alive today.

In the 1950s the park was basically devoid of any structures except for the old auditorium where the city regularly holds its social events.

The open skating rink with two small canteens together with the boating, bicycles and scooters were already with the athletic bowl being constructed in the early 1950s.

Today, a lot has changed.

Slowly but surely, the available open spaces have been getting smaller over the years.

This started with the football field.

First were the two restaurants in the late 1960s followed by the area taken over by the Fire Department which was eventually converted into eateries.

Then another portion was taken to become a pay parking area.

A portion of the picnic area where the water pump is also became a parking area. The tennis court which has been there since the 1950s is now gone.

In its place is another structure going up.

The bleachers in the Athletic Bowl have also been extended with added office spaces below.

Very soon, that portion of the park will soon be a built up area housing some offices of the government.

The place where the old auditorium used to be is now a pay parking area with business stalls scattered all over.

The skating rink has completely been enclosed.

The way it was done, however, leaves a lot to be desired. There is also a restaurant in the place with two exposed water tanks blighting that section of the park with a huge public toilet facility.

There are now three buildings where the old pelota court was built in the 1970s. Half of the area below Kisad Road is now the orchidarium and is no longer being used as part of the park.

A Police Sub-Station is also located there with the outer portion being used as a parking area.

That part of the park is also blighted.

About three weeks ago a lot of tarpaulin covered business stalls sprouted in the football ground to become another shopping area.

Whether this arrangement is temporary or not is not altogether clear.

In spite of all these changes going on and the open spaces shrinking, the park is strangely still full of tourists coming from all over the country and it does not matter whether the weather is good or bad.

I do not know what will become of the park in the next five or 10 years.

But by the way things are going, I am pessimistic because of what is happening to the open spaces.

We can, of course, debate to our hearts’ content what a park should be whether it is better for it to be left with a lot of open spaces or build it up and allow all the vendors, eateries and other business stalls selling jewelry and others because it is good for business and that is perhaps the way we Filipinos prefer it.

Maybe in the end, we shouldn’t care too much what will happen to the open spaces of the park so long as people using the park are not complaining.

But is this the right attitude?