I couldn’t stress enough my fanaticism for public parks and accessible open spaces. It started when I underwent a youth leadership and citizenship development program called Young Minds Academy (YMA) initiated by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI). Aboitiz Group is one of the most well-regarded families in the Philippines. At a young age, we were heavily exposed to the current and pressing issues of our immediate communities on the island of Cebu. We engage with communities through immersion. Through the program, I could say I’ve seen the best and the worst of Cebu. I’ve been to the biggest landfills and to the most depressed, urban poor spots in the Metro. Talked and engaged with the local government, community leaders, top businessmen, and change ambassadors. All thanks to YMA! I’ve learned things I could’ve not learned elsewhere. But if you ask me what’s one lesson that I think still holds true even now that’s the importance of having inclusive communities and it starts with having open spaces nearby residential areas.
That’s why our trip to Baguio, despite being short, was a memorable one for me. In one of my posts, I’ve mentioned about Wright Park but there’s another park in Baguio that you shouldn’t miss in your future trips there. We went to this park after we tasted the Strawberry Shakes at La Trinidad. The park is commonly called Burnham Park. The park was named after an American architect and urban planner, Daniel Hudson Burnham. [1]. I am not sure which one is bigger but I can confirm that Burnham Park is livelier than Wright Park. Well at least at the moment we went to both parks. Aside from the massive land area it occupies which is 33 hectares to be more specific, there were numerous activities kids and adults alike can enjoy inside Burnham Park such as riding the swam boat/kayak in Burnham Lake, another manmade attraction inside the park, for an affordable price. You can also rent bikes that come in different sizes and other rides that you can use inside a designated part of the park and a lot more. Grace and I only tried the swan boat ride.
Aside from fun activities, there were a handful of food stalls in Melvin Jones Grandstand. Grace and I found the best puto bumbong or purple rice cake steamed in bamboo tubes that are usually served hot with cheese/butter and muscovado sugar on the side. That was the best puto bumbong I tasted in my entire life. Right after exploring Burnham Park, we went to Vizco's Restaurant & Cake Shop to try their strawberry and blueberry cakes that I must agree sealed our Baguio City experience.