Children’s park in Pasil revitalized

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Children‘s Park in Pasil fronting the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino is now getting into shape and with an even better landscape.

According to the locals, the area was already a park before it was converted into the Pasil Fish Market a long time ago.

After the 2013 earthquake, the fish market was one of those that had major damage and was later reverted into a children’s park anew and inaugurated in February 2016.

Unfortunately, the maintenance of the park was not sustained after Mayor Michael Rama lost his re-election bid in 2016.

City Councilor Joel Garganera pushed for the renovation of the children’s park in 2018, but it didn’t prosper with the city government eyeing the place into another project including a school and market.

Then, under the late mayor Edgardo Labella’s administration, the area returned to being a temporary fish market.

When Rama won as mayor again last year, one of the projects he wanted to be resurrected is the children‘s playground.

The mayor then ordered the temporary fish market to be moved anew, this time placed under the unfinished Pasil Fish Port.

The unfinished fish market and fish port are both projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

DPWH Cebu City District Engineer Yusoph Rasuman accordingly gave a “go” to utilize the unfinished fish port as a temporary market.

In due time, these fish vendors will be housed at the actual Pasil Fish Market once the DPWH completes the project while the bagsakan at the South Road Properties (SRP) will be transferred to the Pasil Fish Port when it is finished already.

The playground was targeted to open last December, but workers at the City Hall are still doing some final touches.

The city’s Market Division Administrator Wendell “Wayne” Cenas showed a glimpse of the revived children’s park which has some landscaped greens and trees for families and a play area for children with different playground amenities.

There is also a covered court around the premises that skateboarders hope to use for their training.

Earlier, the city government alongside Megawide Corporation also revived the Freedom Park in Carbon Market to give the Cebuanos a place to relax and express themselves through public discourse and debates. — GMR (FREEMAN)