In a recently passed resolution, the Baguio City Council is yet again asking for the development plans for the Ibaloi Heritage Garden and the Igorot Garden, both subsections of Burnham Park which have been subject to much criticism and conflict over the continued lack of progress on the construction work.
Under Resolution No. 5333, Series of 2024, the council has yet again asked the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) to present the final development plans on the park sections’ construction.
The council had previously asked for the plans earlier in the year (as early as April) when the council sought an explanation for changes to the designs that had supposedly not been run through council scrutiny.
According to CEPMO head Rhenan Diwas, the confusion stems from changes made to the original master development plan worth P78 million following consultations with the Ibaloi community. These include revising the plans to accommodate, for an additional P2 million from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the completion of certain portions of the final structure, and changing the design to retain the stage at the park that was originally slated for demolition and replacement.
With the input of the Ibaloi community and considering the good condition of the existing stage, Diwas said that they altered the plans around it to accommodate its inclusion into the new design, which also included a plan to build an extension of the original stage to transform it into a two-storey structure.
As the Ibaloi Heritage Park is part of Burnham Park, the plans for its redesign are covered under the Burnham Park Development Plan, which has previously been submitted to and reviewed by the city council.
However, council members reiterated that said changes to the master development plan have not been reviewed by the council, with Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and Councilor Betty Tabanda asking for copies of the updated plans for review, and Councilor Mylen Yaranon raising concerns that the ongoing development might not be what was approved by the council prior.
