Luneta makeover to cost over P400M: Palawan long beach also to be developed

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) are planning a redevelopment of the 52-hectare Luneta Park in Manila. Initially, a budget of P400 million has been allocated for the redevelopment of the children’s playground and the construction of a boardwalk and other waterfront development in the western section of the park beside the Manila Ocean Park. The budget is expected to increase when the redevelopment of the mini golf course adjacent to Intramuros is included. Tieza, which manages the golf course, plans to convert it into a park. The golf course, Tieza’s main asset, attracts players at night. Ed Villalon, head of planning at the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), said the Rizal Park complex includes the National Museum which is directly under the auspices of DOT. The National Museum covers seven hectares from Burgos St. to City Hall. He said Rizal Park has had no makeover in recent years but that NPDC undertakes continuous maintenance and has upgraded security. Parkgoers average at 10,000 per day on weekdays, rising up to 20,000 to 30,000 on weekends. DOT and Tieza said Rizal Park and the long beach area of San Vicente in Palawan will be tourism enterprise zones (TEZs). DOT and Tieza are actively seeking out sites with viable tourism potential. These are then master-planned and developed to sustainable tourism destinations, with the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan as the guide. The objective of TEZs is to improve marketing competitiveness of tourism by focusing on special areas with high potential for growth. According to Tieza, there will be no drastic changes in Rizal Park except for the redevelopment of the children’s playground and the section beside the Manila Ocean Park. Under DOT’s comprehensive master plan for Luneta, the complex is divided into seven significant themes that include: a place for history and heritage; anchor to a wider cluster of historic/cultural enclave which includes the National Museum and Intramuros; venue for recreation promoting healthy balanced lifestyles and sense of community; a green haven promoting environmental action and nature stewardship; and venue for play, celebration, contemplation and recreation. As part of a supplemental agreement, Tieza will extend the Rizal Park Complex development to include what is now called the Extramuros area as an extension of the flagship TEZ. The Club Intramuros golf course which Tieza has informally named Extramuros, just north of Rizal Park and practically adjacent to the park, will be turned into a public park with supporting commercial developments for tourism-related purposes. The focus of the master plan of the Rizal Park Complex is to preserve the historic and cultural value of the park and to enhance the visitor experience. The DOT said there are mini-plans for transport, infrastructure and utilities, institutional arrangement and implementation, social/cultural and environmental sustainability, business models and economic opportunity, financial feasibility, and the management structure of the TEZ. The other flagship TEZ, the Long Beach Area of San Vicente in Palawan, covers 883.11 hectares. The area averages about 500 meters inland along the whole 14-kilometer stretch of the beach. Long Beach is mostly flat land with some elevated areas in Bokbok and parts of Alimanguan– the highest elevation of which measures 120 meters above sea level. It is further divided into Area 1 (Poblacion and New Agutaya), Area 2 (San Isidro), and Area 3 (Alimanguan). Long Beach has been identified as the main tourism area of the municipality. The San Vicente Airport is expected to be the entry point for most of the tourists. Once operational, the San Vicente Flagship TEZ can become a weekend destination as it is only about an hour and a half away by plane from Manila and other major Philippine airports. The other proposals on the road network plan are expected to move the traffic further from the beach area. The master plan recommends giving priority to public transport – buses and vans, walking and cycling as the primary modes of transport. The completion of Itabiak road, which leads to the Long Beach area, makes it easier to reach the TEZ by land from other towns in Palawan. The pier at Barangay Poblacion is being upgraded, but another docking area will be constructed at the TEZ.