Cagayan de Oro reopens iconic park after P50-M facelift

The park, built in the early 20th century as a fire break, has long held a central role in the city’s civic and political life

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The Cagayan de Oro city government reopened the iconic Plaza Divisoria, also known as the Golden Friendship Park, just in time for the 127th Philippine Independence Day celebration on Thursday, June 12.

The park, built in the early 20th century as a fire break, has long held a central role in the city’s civic and political life. Its Kiosko Kagawasan (Freedom Kiosk) was a rallying point in the city during the 1986 People Power Revolution and again in 2001 when thousands gathered to demand the ouster of the then-president Joseph Estrada during the so-called EDSA II.

Cagayan de Oro Mayor Rolando Uy led the reopening ceremony of the rehabilitated public space, which now bears upgraded features surrounding monuments of national heroes such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and President Ramon Magsaysay, as well as a statue of Justiniano Borja, the city’s third mayor who oversaw the establishment of the Cogon public market in 1958.

“The rehabilitation of the Divisoria Park may not be noticeable during daylight hours but when you observe it at night, the transformative changes truly become apparent,” said Patrick Gabutina, chair of Project Lunhaw, which oversaw the renovation.

The six-month project, Gabutina said, came with a price tag of roughly P50 million.

That figure covers improvements to several areas across Plaza Divisoria’s five park “islands” — but not all. Two of the parks remain unfinished, including the one containing the Bonifacio monument and the burial site of skeletal remains of local heroes who resisted American forces during the Philippine-American War.

Improvements include pathways friendly to persons with disability, newly planted flowers, benches, and plans for a small fountain near the Bonifacio monument.

“It was money well spent really,” Gabutina said. – Rappler.com