DAVAO CITY (PIA) -- The local and national government are planning to build new parks in Davao City.

According to Acting Division Chief Engr. Juancho Dagasohan of Parks and Playgrounds Division of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), they are targeting 34 parks for Davao City.

Currently Davao City's CENRO has in its inventory 26 parks, and to achieve the target, they would need to build eight more parks.

“Ang populasyon sa lungsod naga dako kaya ang parks murag kulang pa. Kaya ang city government karon nagapangita na ug luna na i-develop for city parks (The population of the city is growing thus the current parks would not be enough, that is why the city government is looking for spaces to develop as city parks),” the acting city’s park chief said.

Among the possible sites for the new parks will be in the city’s second and third districts.

He said that of the 26 current parks in the list, 22 of these parks are operational with two under improvement (Toril Park, Freedom Park), one park (Doña Vicente) though completed is awaiting formal opening, and one park (Sta. Ana) is presently not operational as it is within the construction area of the Davao City Coastal Road bridge.

“Hopefully, after the construction of the coastal road, maibalik natin to sa dati,” Dagasohan said of the 3,000 -square meter Sta. Ana Park.

For the 1.2-hectare Doña Vicenta Park, it will be opened this month of June. “Fine tuning nalang actually ang pronouncement ng department head namin may arrangement na with City Mayor’s Office kasi si Honorable Mayor siya ang mag-open,” Dagasohan said.

“Gina plan na siya ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) pero ang area identified na siya as park (This is being planned by the DPWH but the area is identified as a park)” Dagasohon said.

If these parks will be completed by the DPWH these will be turned over to the CENRO for maintenance.

Expanded Rizal Park

The site of the old City Engineers’ Office will be used to expand the city’s Rizal Park. The erstwhile CEO building which has been demolished is located at the back of the Jose Rizal monument.

“Ang na demolish na City Engineer’s Office ang program nito will be the extension of the Rizal Park from San Pedro to Pichon Street,” Dagasohon said.

The expansion project will entail moving the Rizal monument towards the side of Pichon (Magallanes) street.

Another project they are eyeing is the improvement of People’s Park which at four hectares is the largest park in Davao City. (RGA/PIA XI)