I recently started a museum-hopping campaign for my blog to get our three mutants out of the house and visit museums and galleries in Cebu which showcase part of their Filipino culture and heritage.
We conquered Fort San Pedro two Saturdays ago armed with wet wipes, change of clothes and (so much) food.
Plaza Independencia was busy that afternoon. A stage was being set up and there were around 30 young adults practicing a dance number using colorful cloths. The kids wanted to approach them and watch them up close. But knowing our children, I knew they were going to wreak havoc on the practice dance so I instead directed them to the park/playground behind the Fort.
It is a playground with slides and monkey bars, perfect for inquisitive children. There is a wide, green space for — what else — running, and the kids loved going around in circles chasing each other. There was no shortage of giggles and laughter on that Saturday.
There were several people in the park on this lovely afternoon. There were grandparents looking after their grandchildren as they climbed up the stairs leading to the slides. It rained in the early morning so there were small puddles of water at the playground. I let Mutant no. 2, also known as Antoinette, walk barefoot as once she started, there was no stopping her. Her feet were all covered with mud.
She was smiling and said she is “happy.”
The playground and the green space beside it are both clean and well maintained. There were a few candy wrappers on the ground, which I had my children pick up and throw into the trash can. But other than that, this public (and free) spot provides the much-needed breathing space for a city that is marred with garbage and traffic problems.
When Plaza Independencia was reopened to the public on May 8, 2011 after a seven-month renovation, it was a revelation of a “decent” public park that no longer reeked of urine stench. The comfort rooms are now well maintained and formerly dark areas are well-lit.
I wrote a feature story on this for the Philippine Daily Inquirer six years ago and interviewed Dr. Librado Macaraya, then chairperson of the city’s park and playground commission.
He said the Cebu City government spent P37.2 million for the renovation of the plaza and P3.3 million for the rehabilitation of the stage and playground.
The plan, he said, was for Cebu City to have a Heritage Village which is a vast historical complex that will have Plaza Independencia and Fort San Pedro as centerpieces.
Two months after the formal reopening in 2011, Cebu was declared a “City of Culture” of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Cebu’s declaration as an Asean City of Culture was in line with the designation of the Philippines as an Asean Culture Capital for 2010 to 2011.
The project was carried out for two years where the chosen country showcased its best cultural heritage.
All these happened during the administration of former mayor Mike Rama. I am pretty sure there were several councilors involved in the success of the renovation and rehabilitation of the plaza and the playground. Thank you for making the right decision to put taxpayers’ money to good use.
Maintaining this area at present is a task that the current administration of Mayor Tomas Osmeña is doing with dedication and diligence. I suppose culture and heritage preservation is one aspect that these two warring Cebu City leaders can finally agree upon.
I thought of this last Saturday as I was chasing the kids around the park which still needs more trees and green vegetation. There were security personnel around the park, and that made this Nanay feel quite safe.
Aside from our insanely restless group of children, there were students, youth groups and women associations who were practicing arnis moves, carrying out team-building activities and dancing with music blasting from a portable speaker attached to a mobile phone.
In a previous column, I called for more green spaces in Cebu and mentioned this spot as perhaps the only free green space in the city for families to spend lazy weekend afternoons together.
On my recent visit, I can honestly say it still is a fun destination for families who prefer to stay away from concrete structures such as malls and department stores.
The park is basic, simple and traditional, the kind of place where you are not bombarded by loud music or sales people hounding you to sign up for a credit card.
Today, we will be at Museo Sugbo for a free tour and storytelling and arts and crafts sessions for the second part of the Reading Ruffolos’ museum-hopping campaign. The Cebu provincial government and Cebu Literary Festival have joined forces for this endeavor.
It is open to the public, so you might want to join us for a day of listening to your children’s laughter and where you can actually engage in a meaningful talk with a family member without the distraction of bags and shoes sold for half the price.