FOR nearly three weeks last July the rains poured almost continually and relentlessly.
As soon as the seeming storm spell was broken and the sun shone again, my husband Mike went back to his disrupted daily morning routine of going to Burnham Park in his bicycle to do his favorite exercise – boxing.
On my part, it was only after three days that the sun has been shining again did I venture to go to Burnham Park. Since I was late for the aerobic and zumba class, I simply walked around the park.
After praying the Rosary while I walked, I started asking myself, “What could I write about today?” I am reminded of the quote, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Indeed, since I have been preoccupied with my project of writing a book, everything I looked at seemed like a good subject to write about.
As I made my first walk around the outer circle of the lake, I had a number of startling discoveries. I noticed how tall the grasses have grown. A lot of the plants also needed a trim or an uprooting. Many looked dead already. A big stretch of the sidewalk was nearly covered with fallen leaves, as if the season of autumn visited us in Baguio.
Then I saw one street sweeper who was painstakingly sweeping the carpet-like fallen leaves. I felt so grateful for that lone man. I realized how important his job was. What if no one showed up to sweep that day?
On my third round of walk, I saw another street sweeper; then a third and a fourth. Thank God for street sweepers!
By my fifth walk around the lake, the park was still far from being tidy and presentable. Fortunately, by that time, there was already one gardener who started pulling the dead and withered plants in one corner of the huge park.
But, he was alone. Nobody had touched the grass. Some sections were knee length already. It made me wonder what our government or whoever was in charge of park maintenance doing?
I wish I could say that I ended my morning walk that day refreshed. While I was happy to be back exercising in Burnham Park again, the condition of the park was disappointing and depressing to say the least.
I concluded that at the state the park was in, walking around the lake was far from being “a walk in the park.”
My Dearest Concerned Leaders,
Please do something about Burnham Park! It is the very heart of our city. There is no doubt it is our most visited, most famous, most valuable tourist attraction. More than this, it is a great part of our treasured past. The not so young and old alike share wonderful memories of walking and picnicking, boating, skating, biking and simply relaxing at this what once was the most peaceful spot in Baguio.
Please let it remain a green park. Please maintain it well and protect it from further degradation and deterioration for our children, grandchildren and the future generations to come.
rNote: It has been more than a month since I wrote the above article. Thankfully, since then, the park has been better maintained. The plants were trimmed. The grasses were cut. But, there is still a big room for improvement. Now, if only all of us who use and enjoy the park will do our part and keep it clean.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it." –Genesis 2:15