The Tagbilaran City Green Park project was already approved prior to the pandemic, but its construction was delayed due to the health crisis.
Fortunately, work on the Green Park has commenced on Sept. 9, 2021, according to the City Media Bureau.
The perspective of the park surrounding the Central Market is shown in the photo on the front page of this newspaper. It will be a designated green area, which is meant to serve as a gathering place for families and the general public.
According to studies, parks and protected public lands are able to prevent flooding, improve the quality of the air we breathe, provide vegetative buffers to development, and create a place for children and families to connect and for outdoor recreation.
Environmentalists claim that urban parks help fight pollution, encourage biodiversity in city centers and help to control temperature and humidity.
City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II said that parks are also crucial to social cohesion since city parks provide access to recreational opportunities, increase property values, spur local economies, combat crime, and protect cities from negative environmental impact.
“Parks provide space for the community to interact with each other and meet new people. They’re also great spaces for events and for people to engage in recreational activities. Parks and recreational facilities in a community also reduce crime rates, especially among youth. Furthermore, parks provide a safe space where children can play. Play according to educators, increases children’s self-esteem and confidence,” Yap emphasized.
The P26 million Tagbilaran Green Park is part of the national government’s “Green, Green, Green” program, a nationwide project to develop public open spaces.
The program covers all 145 cities of the country in a bid to make these places “more livable and sustainable” through the development of public open spaces.
The Green Park project is expected to be completed after 10 months. It will feature landscaped green areas, benches, a parking lot, playground, and paved walkways, among others.
The 6,963 square meter park will stretch across three sides of the City Central Public Market in barangay Dao.