Parque de Madrid

Travelling can open up vast realities that can feed our thoughts and imagination. No sooner than we entered Parque de Madrid when beauty and longing overwhelmed us. The park is bedecked with trees all over with trimmed grass underneath, a perfect venue for friends whiling away time in the middle of nature, in the middle of the city. The crown and glory of it all is the majestic lake surrounded by a concrete walkway for everyone to stroll and to sit. We watched the boats rowed by families and lovers pass by. This lakeside hangout can also be enjoyed several meters behind the walkway. Benches and cafeterias line under the trees, still with a perfect view of the lake. To top it all, they overlaid the ground seemingly with white gravel, perhaps crushed limestone, creating an atmosphere of a beachfront.

O how we long for a similar park in Davao! Surely, our city planners, engineers and architects can use their world class artistic knowledge and skill to make this happen. The cafeterias can defray the cost of maintenance, not to mention a token entrance fee or a boat ride charge.

Do we need another park? Yes. Will it attract tourists? Definitely, with potential revenue for the city. Our slogan is usually, From Islands to Highlands. How about a lake? Do we have the water? Yes. Mt. Talomo’s huge caldera is like a giant inverted umbrella catching the rains as they fall; no wonder, Tamugan, Lipadas, Panigan and Talomo rivers continue to flow from this mountain.

If Baguio City, high above the mountains can boast and romanticize its lake despite its water shortage, especially during summers, surely we can do better. Think about it. We long for it.