BAGUIO CITY – A 25-man delegation from San Antonio, Texas and officials of the city government recently inaugurated the so-called San Antonio friendship garden within the Sister Cities Park of the Botanical Garden to celebrate and strengthen the enduring friendship between the two cities.
The unveiling of the marker were led by Rep. Mark Go and Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong representing the Baguio City government and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Executive Director of Parks Management and Recreation Homer Garcia and Melinda Rodriguez, president of the Communities Aligning Baguio and San Antonio, Texas (CABSAT) representing San Antonio, Texas.
The San Antonio friendship garden showcases how important parks and green spaces connect with each other and provide green infrastructure that promotes the spirit of community.
Garcia pointed out that parks are beyond borders because public spaces belong to everyone like what has been done in San Antonio where there are numerous green spaces to help sustain and preserve the environment.
One of the features of the friendship garden is the replica of the monarch butterflies of which San Antonio earned the title of Monarch City in 2017 that speaks well of how well they protected monarch butterflies that had thrived in the said city.
For his part, Mayor Ron Nerinberg said that both Baguio and San Antonio explored the establishment of the friendship garden within the city’s Botanical Park to showcase how San Antonio treasures its own Botanical Garden, thus, the inclusion of various features of their own park to the newly established garden in Baguio.
He stated that the newly established San Antonio friendship garden in the city is just the first phase of a much bigger project where residents and visitors could now see the various species, colors, features and textures that are in the said park in San Antonio.
Nerinberg explained that one of the important features in the garden is the replica of the world Tallest Cowboy Boots measuring 12 meters high and 11 meters long which is now in display at the North Star Mall in San Antonio and that its replica in the city will help bring Texas steps not only in the city but also in the whole Cordillera considering that Cordillerans are a big fan of cowboys.
According to him, another important component of the garden is the papel picado or punch paper which could be found in the city in various colors that will serve as an added attraction within the half hectare area.
The San Antonio mayor stipulated that a stream within the garden will be likened to the San Antonio river lock where the boats that are found in the latter could also be seen in different colors right in the said place that will make it another significant and magnificent attraction within the park like what happened to their place since what used to be a drainage is now frequented by over 10 million tourists annually.
He expressed his gratitude to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, City Tourist Officer Engr. Aloysius Mapalo, Assistant City Tourism Officer Jose Mire Rivera and the City Environment and Parks Management office (CEPMO) team headed by lawyer Rhenan Diwas for their amazing job in preparing the garden in time for their visit. By Dexter A. See
