Sunday, August 03, 2008 Downtown Plaza By Arch’t. Karl A.E.F. Cabilao, UAP
WITH its tinge of heritage, downtown areas or old business districts possess the most potential for tourism activities. However, these areas are often neglected by the new generation in favor of fresher and more modern developments elsewhere in the city. Thus, urban conservation activities are focused on these districts.
Most of the time, when we mention about downtown revitalization, people often think about “one-hit wonder” solutions like week-long bazaars and street parades. Well, these activities can help but they need more complimentary tactics. Oftentimes, we miss out the importance of extracting the essence of a place and sustaining it.
One way of promoting vitality in the downtown area is introducing open spaces like plazas.
Recently, a plaza named after a known crusader for judicial independence came into the limelight. The Borromeo Plaza, located in the corner of P. Lopez and Borromeo streets, got a new addition in the form of a historical marker commemorating the heroic exploits of Cebuano Judge Andres Borromeo.
Judge Borromeo came from one of the prominent clans in Cebu. In 1914, he was appointed Judge of the Court of First Instance of Surigao and Agusan, 24th Judicial District. For defending the judiciary in the face of a hostile insular legislature, he became a “legal hero.”
The judicial “independence” for which Judge Borromeo fought for valiantly seems to be reflected in this open space, where one could experience the freedom of the outdoor in the midst of the imposing structures.
The plaza, which is surrounded by various retail stores, got a new look, courtesy of one the late judge’s descendants, architect and landscape architect Socorro Borromeo-Atega.
“The plaza features a huge parking space which will surely provide an added convenience for shoppers. It is also visible from the road, which enables passersby to get a glimpse of the refreshing greens,” shares Arch’t. Atega.
Completed just in the early 2000s, Plaza Borromeo is one of the designated “nodes” for a proposed “heritage walk” within the city.
“Spaces like these, which honor important personalities, should encourage more of these types of developments especially in these areas,” adds the plaza’s designer.
Definitely, more than the park’s important role as a magnet for social and economic activities towards the downtown area, the recently-unveiled marker honors an important local hero. But a marker alone is tantamount to a gloomy tombstone. It’s almost a common “heritage practice” to merely create historical markers for bygone personalities and structures.
Maybe after a stroll at this plaza, heritage trailblazers could rethink about superficial and run-of-the-mill strategies which have only brought short-term effects.
Urban heritage conservation goes beyond just pure preservation of what is old. By reviving relevant activities and enhancing the old touches, we uncover the lifeblood which has been strongly identified with a place.
