‘New Paseo del Mar’ is beautiful

AFTER THE Covid-19 pandemic delayed the opening of the newly-rehabilitated Paseo del Mar in Zamboanga City is now finally open to the public and the make-over boasts of child-friendly playground and colorful designs that would rival modern parks in Mindanao.

Mayor Beng Climaco inspects the newly-rehabilitated Paseo del Mar.
(Christian Olasiman)

The P46-million project, which started in 2019, is expected to be a major landmark in Zamboanga. The park has a newly-designed open stage and a skate park, the first in Zamboanga, according to Mayor Beng Climaco.

She said the project is a “gift to the children” who were traumatized and displaced by Moro National Liberation Front rebel attacks in 2013, and to all those who once dreamed of playing in a park built just for them.

“This is a dream come true for all the children…my Zamboanga children, and not only the kids but for everyone. This is dedicated to all the children who were affected and displaced during the Zamboanga siege. I remembered how it was hard for them to play in the congested Zamboanga Grandstand. Today, we are realizing the dream to make Zamboanga a Child-Friendly City,” the mayor said, referring to the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex which served as a temporary settlement for thousands of people displaced by the deadly attack.

The opening of the Paseo del Mar also coincided with the “Zamboanga Hermosa Festival.”

The month-long festival is held in honor of the miraculous image of Nuestra Señora del Pilar – the patroness of Zamboanga City and Zaragoza in Spain, the sister city of Zamboanga – which is held on every 12th of October.

This year’s celebration is most likely to limit the movement of people due to the rising cases of Covid-19, Climaco reminded residents to strictly follow public health protocols.

“Our plan is to vaccinate more people so that in the future, when our Covid cases our down and we are able to reach herd immunity, we can adapt to new normal activities that will allow the family safe outdoor recreation,” she said.

The City Health Office has vaccinated nearly 18% of the target population which is about 700,000.

Climaco ordered the rehabilitation of the sprawling Paseo del Mar in an effort to improve the dilapidated seaside park. She said the new Paseo del Mar is not just as a family destination, but also as a recreational and tourism magnet too for everyone to enjoy.

The Paseo del Mar hosts various restaurants and is home to the Centro Latino building, among other structures, near the Fort Pilar Shrine. The opening of the park came following the massive rehabilitation of the Roseller Lim Boulevard.

The park was built during the previous Lobregat administration and it became an instant tourist attraction because of the many restaurants and the view of the setting sun and its musically gyrating fountain. But the fountain also attracted criticisms due to its high construction cost reaching some P27 million, and park goers originally had to shell out P10 to buy a seat around it.

Climaco said the rehabilitation project was undertaken by a private contractor and supervised by the City Engineer’s Office. (Zamboanga Post)