Burnham Park, officially known as the Burnham Park Reservation, is a historic
urban park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...
located in downtown
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It was designed by eponymous American architect and Baguio
city planner
An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning.
An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town ...
,
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the '' Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been, "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ...
.
Design
![Burnham park statue of Burnham 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Burnham_park_statue_of_Burnham_2013.jpg)
Burnham Park was envisioned by American architect
Daniel Hudson Burnham as part of a
larger plan for the city of Baguio in 1905. After having presented the preliminary plans for Baguio and the capital city of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Burnham left the task of interpreting such plans to
William E. Parsons. The area where Burnham Park is situated was formerly known as 'Baguio Meadow".
Burnham's role in establishing the park is acknowledged through a bust bearing his likeness and a plaque located at one end of the park.
The park's design is influenced from the
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy of North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of introducing beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. It was a part of the ...
; It has a small pond or lagoon situated at the green space's center and has regimented rows of grass and sidewalk. According to the Baguio Heritage Foundation in 2014, only the open field often used for football and the Melvin Jones Grandstand adhere to Burnham's original design for the park.
Administration
History
![Philippine Island - Baguio - NARA - 68155836](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Philippine_Island_-_Baguio_-_NARA_-_68155836.jpg)
Burnham Park's title belongs to the
Department of Tourism while Baguio's City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the park. The rules and regulations of the park is stated in Administrative Order 21 of 2015 which includes provisions against smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages as well as selling services (including massage, manicure, pedicure, and tattooing) within the park.
The city government of Baguio has been in charge of the administration, maintenance, and management of the park since February 10, 1995 when Executive Order No. 244 issued by President
Fidel Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
transferred the responsibilities in operating the park to the Baguio local government from the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). Through Executive Order No. 695 by President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
the Baguio local government was given full control to Burnham Park on January 10, 2008 by transferring PTA's power of control and further development of the park to the city government.
The area occupied by Burnham Park was reserved for park purposes on August 6, 1925 through Proclamation No. 64 of
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba, and Governor-General of the Philippi ...
.
A portion of the park was separated from the Burnham Park Reserves for the purpose of hosting a public high school (
Baguio City National High School
Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) is a public secondary school in Baguio, Philippines. Its main campus is on Governor Pack Rd., and it has several annexes in the city.
History
The former name of Baguio City National High School was Mount ...
) through Proclamation No. 401 issued by President
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino enter ...
on June 27, 1953.
The park was first ceded to the PTA from the Baguio city government through Presidential Decree No. 1762 issued by
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
on January 6, 1981 and Proclamation No. 2144 on December 9, 1981 also by Marcos for "tourism development purposes". For five years the park was run by the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) from March 10, 1989 to March 10, 1994 following a signing of a memorandum of agreement between NPDC and the PTA. After that period the administration of the park was reverted to the PTA before it was transferred to the Baguio city government in 1995.
Bills have been filed in the
Philippine House of Representatives
The House of Representatives of the Philippines ( fil, Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas, italic=unset, ''Kamara'' or ''Kamara de Representantes'' from the Spanish language, Spanish word ''cámara'', meaning "chamber") is the lower house ...
to revert the park's control back to the national government and declare Burnham Park as a national park, but none has been passed .
Clusters
Burnham Park has twelve designated clusters as of 2018.:
*Athletic Bowl
*Burnham Lagoon
*Children's Playground
*Igorot Garden
*Japanese Peace Tower
*Melvin Jones Grandstand
*Orchidarium
*Picnic Grove
*Pine Trees of the World
*Rose Garden
*Skating Rink
*Sunshine Park
Features
Athletic Bowl
The Baguio Athletic Bowl is a
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
facility within Burnham Park. The Athletic Bowl area hosts an archery range and a nursery where the park administration grow seedlings.
Burnham Lake
Burnham Lake, formerly known as the City Pond, is about a century-old man-made lake situated at the center portion of Burnham Park. In early 2013, it underwent dredging which saw the removal of a meter (3.28 feet) thick silt sitting on the lake's bed. It was also dredged in 1994. After the 2013 dredging, the lake's volume is . The depth of the body of water is about . Boat rentals are available in the lake catering to tourists and residents.
Tilapia
Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...
,
carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
and
koi
or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens.
Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...
are among the fauna of the lake. The color of the water can be dark to reddish brown at times especially during the summer season due to growth of algae and constant stirring of the water by boaters causes mud, algae, and other materials in the lake to be suspended which contributes to the water color.
Gardens and other leisure areas
![Burnham Park biking 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Burnham_Park_biking_2004.jpg)
Burnham Park hosts a
children's playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people w ...
on its western portion. Government of Baguio and SM Prime Holdings Inc. signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the improvement and rehabilitation of the Children's Playground inside Burnham Park.
The Orchidarium, also on the park's west side is a garden dedicated to orchids. Other types of flowers are also grown in the orchidarium. The garden hosts "The Orchid House" at its center which was constructed by Arnie's Garden, where flower vendors sell their merchandise.
The Avong Ibaloi Heritage Garden is situated between the Orchidarium and the Children's Park. The area was designated as a heritage park through City Council Resolution 182 in 2010 as part of the city government's effort to preserve the culture of the
Ibaloi people
The Ibaloi (also spelled Ibaloy; Ibaloi: ''ivadoy'', ) are an indigenous ethnic group found in Benguet Province of the northern Philippines.
''Ibaloi'' is derived from ''i-'', a prefix signifying "pertaining to" and ''badoy'' or house, togethe ...
as well as acknowledge their role in the city's history.
The Igorot Park is a smaller park within Burnham Park which is a place where locals often play chess as early as the 1980s. The Garden is dominated by a Statue of the 5 main Igorot Tribes the
Ibalois,
Bontocs
The Bontoc (or Bontok) ethnolinguistic group can be found in the central and eastern portions of Mountain Province, in the Philippines. Although some Bontocs of Natonin and Paracelis identify themselves as Balangaos, Gaddangs or Kalingas, the ...
,
Kalingas,
Ifugaos
The Ifugao people are the ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic group inhabiting Ifugao Province. They reside in the municipalities of Lagawe (capital of Ifugao), Aguinaldo, Ifugao, Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan ...
and the
Kankanaeys.
The Melvin Jones Grandstand and the adjacent open field is situated at the eastern portion of the park. The venue hosts concerts, parades and other activities while association football could also be played in the open field. Among the more notable events held in this area is the
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
presided by Pope
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
on February 22, 1981 as part of his
papal visit
Papal travel outside Rome has been historically rare, and voluntary travel of the pope was non-existent for the first 500 years. Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) undertook more pastoral trips than all his predecessors combined. Pope Francis (2013 ...
to the Philippines from February 17–22, 1981.
The Rose Garden is at the northern entrance of Burnham Park where the bust of the park's namesake, Daniel Burnham stands. At its center is an amphitheater. Across the Burnham Park's rose garden gated entrance is Rizal Park, a small park that is sometimes considered part of Burnham Park. A dancing fountain was inaugurated in 2013 in the area.
South of Burnham Lake housed a public rink constructed where skate rentals are available. Further south is the Pine Trees of the World which is meant to feature pine tree species from different parts of the world though none of the foreign pines survived.
Flora
3,004 individual species were identified and recorded in Burnham Park according to an inventory and assessment of the park's flora in a journal published in 2009 by the
University of the Philippines Baguio
The University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB; Filipino: ''Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Baguio''), also referred to as UP in the North or UP Baguio, is a public research university located in Baguio, Philippines. It was established in 1921 through ...
. Out of 72 species, 39 were herbs, 19 were trees, 8 were shrubs, and 6 were grass. The three most dominant species belong to the families of ''
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...
'', ''
Moraceae
The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however ...
'' and ''
Bignoniaceae
Bignoniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpetvines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: ...
'' while two were identified as
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
in the Philippines namely Bermuda grass (''
Cynodon dactylon
''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasi ...
'') and mutha (''
Cyperus rotundus
''Cyperus rotundus'' (coco-grass, Java grass, nut grass, purple nut sedge or purple nutsedge, red nut sedge, Khmer ''kravanh chruk''Martin, Robert & Pol Chanthy, 2009''Weeds of Upland Cambodia'', ACIAR Monagraph 141, Canberra.) is a species of ...
'').
There are about 2,600 trees within the vicinity of the Burnham Park according to the Baguio's City Environment and Parks Management Office's 2015 inventory. Most of the park's trees are concentrated at the Skating Rink area with 161 trees.
Parking space
A 3,000 vehicle capacity parking facility has been proposed to be built at the Melvin Jones Grandstand area of the park by the city government. However such plans has been met with opposition from heritage conservationists who have gathered 15,000 signatures for a petition against the plan.
References
External links
City of Pines Landmarks and Sites web page
{{Baguio
Parks in Baguio
Tourist attractions in Baguio
1925 establishments in the Philippines