Fuente park closed for upgrading
FUENTE Osmeña Park is temporarily closed to allow its upgrading as part of preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings and the International Eucharistic Congress.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the park shuttered effective yesterday.
He directed the Cebu City Parks and Playgrounds Commission to immediately start beautifying the park.
Dr. Librado Macaraya, commission chairman, said they will improve the lighting and the fountain, as well as raise the height of the metal fence.
He said the Lhuillier Group, which builds a giant Christmas tree inside the park every December, wrote the mayor saying the company would no longer help in the rehabilitation of the park.
“(It’s) not good news. But we can’t just look at it (the park) and not do anything especially that APEC is forthcoming. So like what we did in Magallanes Park and the Senior Citizens’ Park, today (Monday) we’ll start what we can to make it better,” Rama said.
Cebu will host the Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting on August 22 to Sept. 6. Ministerial meetings will follow in September and October. The IEC will be held in January next year.
MOTORCYCLES
Rama also ordered that illegally parked motorcycles, especially those on the sidewalk, be apprehended and towed away.
He said the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) will establish free parking areas for motorcycles.
Among the sites being eyed is Don Gil Garcia St. after Chong Hua Hospital.
Rama said they will adopt a scheme similar to that being used in the parking area in front of Rajah Park Hotel. Vehicles park in the middle, instead of on the side, of the road.
“I will have that asphalted so it will be better, nose in, nose out. We’ll put Citom personnel, but not for collecting. It’s free parking,” Rama said.
In the City Hall area, Rama said he has asked Cebu Port Authority (CPA) general manager Edmund Tan to allow the use of a portion of the waterfront area near Magellan’s Park as a free parking area for motorcycles.
Rama instructed Citom to continue looking for other areas in the city where free parking areas for motorcycles can be established.
“This will encourage people not to just drop off people where they want.
We have to instill discipline now. And at the same time, it will promote walking. After parking, they should walk to where they want to go,” he said.
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