Elevated skate park design to thwart drainage problems

A CEBU City Councilor is wary that the failure of the proponents to follow the specifications suggested by skateboarders, who are the project’s stakeholders, would result in the skate park becoming a “white elephant.”

“Maminaw g’yod unta kay sila [skateboarders] man ang mugamit ana (They should really listen because it’s the skateboarders who will use it),” said Councilor Joel Garganera.

But Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., the chairman of the Cebu City Council’s sports committee, said there is a reason for the design—although the skate park is still open for revision.

“It’s open for revision as long as the original design will not be altered. We can make the street course wider,” said Gabuya.

He explained that the skate park is elevated, rather than the usual dug skate part, in order to avoid a possible drainage problem.

“We evaluated this, and if we dig, we will have a water problem. If that’s the case, are we going to pump water?” he asked.

The skate park had a groundbreaking last Tuesday, Dec. 4. However, a Facebook user, in a since-deleted post, expressed his disappointment over the design. He also claimed that Asian Games 2018 skateboarding gold medalist Margielyn Didal was not happy with the design as well.

“Let’s meet the international standard so we can host international competitions for skateboarding. We just don’t want it to become a white elephant that won’t serve its purpose,” said Garganera.

Gabuya, for his part, said that the priority for now is to give skateboarders a place that they can use.

Gabuya and Garganera are from the opposite sides of the political spectrum.

The skate park will be constructed at the back of Fort San Pedro at the Plaza Independencia. (Wenilyn Sabalo, USJ-R intern)

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