Pamintuan cites AC parks, Plaza Angel in urban forum

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/10/28/pamintuan-cites-ac-parks-plaza-angel-urban-forum-438349
• Wednesday, October 28, 2015

(AC-CIO)

ANGELES CITY -- This city’s parks and public spaces took center stage as Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan shared the Angeles City experience on the topic Public Spaces in the Urban Environment during the World Cities Day Urban Forum held Tuesday at the Blue Leaf Filipinas, City of Dreams, Parañaque City.

Pamintuan was the only mayor invited to become a resource speaker in the forum.

The mayor shared the success story of how the local government, in partnership with stakeholders and the community, on the rehabilitation, improvement and beautification of various abandoned spaces, and turn them into public or community spaces.

“The formula in the creation of these public parks is community involvement, strong political will and the vision to see and make things happen,” said the mayor, hoping that his presentation would inspire other local government units to transform their vacant lots into beautiful public spaces.

Among the highlights of his presentation was the transformation of the abandoned PNR railways track into a four-zoned park that features an ornamental plant garden, vegetable garden, public playground, sports areas and a cultural venue.

Estacion de Angeles People’s Park became the inspiration of other communities to turn the unused space of the PNR in their jurisdiction into similar parks, gardens and community centers. It spawned the creation of other parks in the city, such as the Plaza Sto. Cristo, Hardin de Balibago, Jumong Park, Friends of Ed Park, Tabun Park, the Perimeter Fence and Plaza Matua.

What impressed the audience the most was when Pamintuan said that the development of the parks came at no cost to the city government.

The Angeles City mayor also presented the development of Plaza Angel and the Heritage District, which saw the removal of the unused and unsightly wires and cables that marred the view of the centuries-old Holy Rosary Parish Church.

“Today, we can probably say that the Plaza Angel is one of the most ‘trending’ places to be in Angeles City, where people would sit down, order a cup of warm and hearty tsokolateng batirol from the Café Museo, and enjoy the breathtaking view of the old church,” he said.

Joining the mayor during the forum were Nathaniel “Dinky” Von Einsiedel, Urban Planner from UN-Habitat and Atty. Ave Tolentino, Director of the Housing and Urban development Coordinating Council.

The forum is part of Urban October, which started with the celebration of World Habitat Day on October 5 and ends with the celebration of World Cities Day on October 31. The forum’s focus was on Sustainable Development Goal 11, which advocates making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Said forum was organized by the Housing and Urban development Coordinating Council, League of Cities of the Philippines, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).