BAGUIO CITY – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) informed concerned stakeholders that the 34-hectare Burnham Park has not yet been officially declared as a heritage site, contrary to the insinuations from various sectors in the city that it was already declared as such.
Jetro Nicolas P. Lozada, assistant chief operating officer of the Makati-based Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), cited that NHCP made it clear to them that Burnham Park had not yet been declared as a heritage site, thus, TIEZA and NHCP had agreed to have a joint meeting with the city government and the Department of Tourism – Cordillera to further discuss the concerns of the different stakeholders in relation to the state of the scenic park.
Initially, Ozada requested Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan that the initial meeting be scheduled on 12 August 2015, 2 pm, at the City Mayor’s office in order to start the ground work on whatever future plans will be required for the park.
It was learned that last July 27, Lozada had a meeting with NHCP Executive Director Ludovico D. Badoy regarding the Burnham Park development plan and the process for its declaration as a heritage site.
Burnham is titled under the name of the TIEZA but its operation, administration and management has been previously downloaded to the city government.
It can be recalled that the NHCP previously transmitted to the city government a draft of the contents of the marker that will be placed in strategic portions of the park but the city government did not actually comment on the matter until the marking of the park shall have passed through the appropriate consultations with concerned sectors.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan welcomed the offer of TIEZA and NHCP to initially conduct the needed meetings on how to undertake the development projects within Burnham Park and how to undertake the procedures for its declaration as a heritage site, saying that it was the right approach to deal with the involved agencies and local government in order to thresh out the possible issues and concerns to be raised.
At the same time, the local chief executive also expressed his gratitude to the NHCP for issuing the clarification that Burnham Park is not yet declared as a heritage site because it would clear the atmosphere being used by some sectors to politicize the issue in favor of critics of the city government which is simply doing its part to improve the state of the park being one of the premier tourist destinations in the city.
He pointed out declaration of heritage sites in the city must pass through appropriate consultations with all stakeholders and not for a single group to have the monopoly of dictating what sites must be declared as heritage sites because concerned sectors have their own views on the matter.
Aside from Burnham Park, 43 other sites in the different parts of the city are being eyed by various groups to be declared as heritage sites in order to preserve their historical and cultural values for the benefit of the present and future generations.
By Dexter A. See
