TACLOBAN CITY – The main public plaza in Catbalogan City has been refurbished by adding more attractions like fountains and colorful lights around the facility.
The beautification of the city park was funded under the Green Green Program of the Department of Budget and Management allocated in 2019 with an amount of P12 million with the city government providing its counterpart of P10 million.
The improvement was geared towards the development of public open spaces among cities in the country.
Major features of the improvement were the installation of greeneries in the inner portion of the plaza as well as vertical gardens behind the stage, the installation of water fountains and lighting fixtures, to further highlight its unique Rizal statue, considered as a cultural heritage of Catbalogan.
“This project was supposed to be completed in August but due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the project’s completion was delayed,” Mayor Dexter Uy said.
Uy added that the opening of the new city plaza is timely with the celebration of Christmas providing the city residents a place to visit and give a refreshing atmosphere in this time of pandemic.
The city mayor appealed to the public who have will visit the newly-improved city plaza to observe the minimum health protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 like proper wearing of face masks, and face shield, including physical distancing.
“I hope that this will not be a cause for the increase of COVID-19 cases in the city but rather will remind us that there is hope despite we are facing this pandemic,” Uy said.
The mayor also appealed to keep the plaza always clean, by avoiding loitering, and destroying the structures.
Mayor Uy added that improving the Catbalogan City plaza was conceptualized by his elder sister, former mayor and now Councilor Stephany Uy-Tan.
Catbalogan is one of the 144 local government units in the country that are recipient of the DBM project that aims to make their place livable and sustainable.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
