10 REASONS RIZAL PARK IS WORTH VISITING NOW

(SPOT.ph) It’s still the most iconic of all the Manila backdrops— foreign heads of state, after all, stop by here for a photo op, to lay a wreath and pay respects when they land on our shores—but the Rizal Monument, while grand and important, is but a small fraction of Rizal Park. There’s so much more to this place, and yet it’s not rare to see people get off their cars on Roxas Boulevard, have a picture taken in front of the statue, and dash off to the next destination without so much as saying hi to one of the kalabaws across the road.

It wasn’t always like this, of course. The park started off as a center for slow living, for promenading. It was where the city’s elite gathered to socialize, enjoy the view of the ocean while indulging that very human need to see and be seen. It was called Luneta then, after the French "lunette," meaning "a crescent-shaped fort." Of course it was also a place where they shot people—rebels and activists against Spanish rule, like the man in the monument—but thank heavens it’s long ceased to serve that purpose.

When was the last time you were at Rizal Park? What was your last memory of it? For me it was giving cousins from the Visayas a taste of Manila life via the playground area near Taft Avenue where, at that time, there were dinosaur replicas. We were in our pre-teens and enjoying the last days of not looking too strange going up and down playground slides, holding on to our childhood just before it gets extinct like the pre-historic reptiles that surrounded us.

For a much earlier memory, it was bathing in Manila Bay waters because it was supposed to be—at least in the late 70s—good for kids with the usual sipon or ubo. "Hindi na kailangan ng gamot," my mother would say. My mother’s core memory, meanwhile, of Rizal Park is anchored on the Chinese Garden, where my father would take her on dates and where he would bring up the subject of marriage. Big proposals were not quite a thing then, or at least not a thing for two young people from the probinsiya trying to make sapalaran in the big city.

Also read: Check Out These Photos of Old Luneta

Pinoy movie buffs would remember Luneta in scenes from local film classics like Pio de Castro’s melancholic ode to the city bachelor, Soltero, and Ishmael Bernal’s Ikaw Ay Akin. In both movies, the idea of a nightcap after watching a play at the Rajah Sulayman Theatre in Fort Santiago or the CCP was a meal at the Deaf/Mute cafeteria in Rizal Park, perhaps one of the earliest ever establishments in the country to employ the hearing impaired. Luneta was also the central setting for Bernal’s Pabling, a campy, riotous all-star-cast comedy where Maricel Soriano and William Martinez played two young people who were, just like my parents, from the probinsiya trying to make sapalaran in the big city. In it, Luneta is portrayed as Manila’s great refuge, embracing of all sorts of characters, from lost souls to petty thieves to lovestruck dreamers.

Today, much of the Luneta of old is gone but much also has remained. There are more commemorative markers that dot some areas. There are QR codes in select spots that visitors can capture via their phones, which will lead to information on those  sections of the park. The huge map laid out on a pond which you used to be able to see from a moving LRT has disappeared. That side of the park, the Eastern Side, is now overseen by the National Museum and is being transformed into the National Museum Complex, in accordance with the American urban planner Daniel Burnham’s original vision for Luneta. "They plan to also relandscape the grounds and also hopefully add more museums in the future," says Jezreel Gaius Apelar, Deputy Executive Director of the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC).

Apelar’s office has been in charge of the park’s clean up and modernization over the last five years. Asked what his favorite area is, he says it’s the Kanlungan ng Sining or Artist's Haven. "I love it because it is a very quiet and secluded part of the park. It has beautiful plants, and flowers like orchids, and several art sculptures by Filipino artists. The temperature in this part of the park is also cooler and really relaxing."

Apelar toured SPOT.ph around the park recently, and it was quite a treat to discover areas I’ve never before laid eyes on, as well as to see again the familiar icons of this most classic of Manila destinations. It’s comforting to know that despite the ever-changing landscape of the city, the park is still here— a reminder of our history, a place where families come to enjoy the simple pleasures of being together, and a refuge for city folk tired and overwhelmed and aching for a pause.

If you haven’t been to Rizal Park in years, it’s a good time to visit—the rains are just going to make the park look even greener in the coming days.

Here are 10 reasons why you must take a stroll down Rizal Park soon:

1. The site of Ang Pagpapakabayani Ni Jose P. Rizal.

A tableau of Rizal’s execution composed of life-size statues by renowned sculptor Eduardo Castrillo. It’s a timely reminder of what Filipinos before us sacrificed for our freedom. Despite the image of violence at its center, one can feel the solemnity in this garden, which is surrounded by narra and frangipani trees.

2. You can still have a photo taken by a Luneta photographer.

"Getting your photo taken in Luneta is a longstanding tradition," says Apelar. "You can get your photo taken by a photographer for only Php 50 at the cheapest, but they have several packages!"

3. You can watch a concert or a Filipino film classic at The Rizal Park Open Auditorium.

The auditorium went into rehab during the pandemic, says Apelar, "and many improvements have been done to it such as repainting, waterproofing, [the installing of] new lights and other equipment, but most of all, there's a new panoramic LED wall for the stage. Many of NPDC's free park shows, movie screenings and concerts take place here such as the award-winning Concert At the Park. It is one of the park's venues to promote our Filipino heritage, arts and culture."

4. You can bring friends and play chess at The Chess Plaza.

The plaza, with its split-level brutalist design, opened to the public in 1979 to mark the occasion of the World Chess Championship that took place in the country's summer capital, Baguio. The event, which put the Philippines in the world chess map, was headlined by two Russian greats: Anatoly Karpov and Victor Korchnoi. Don’t worry about getting too much sun here: the trees in the area provide shade to players. And if you don’t play chess, you can just sit with your S.O. on one of the carabao head-shaped benches designed by National Artist Abdulmari Imao.

5. The pigeons!

If you think birds in plazas only happen in Europe, think again. These pigeons can be spotted in different parts of Luneta, no small thanks to the birdhouses scattered around the park. Pigeon enthusiasts visit occasionally to feed them.

6. You can relax at the Chinese Garden.

The garden is a gem of a spot in the city, with its beautiful pavilion (inspired by Beijing’s Summer Palace), the connecting bridges, the pond. It’s the perfect place to walk around in or just sit and admire your surroundings, or watch others take a respite from the daily grind. Apelar says it’s among the early important projects taken on by former First Lady Imelda Marcos when she was chair of the NPDC. It was a gift from China to the Philippines in 1967, a design by Yang Cho-Cheng, a renowned Taiwanese architect.

7. The Japanese Garden is a nice spot to be alone with just your thoughts.

There’s not much to see here at this point, except perhaps a wooden bridge that goes from Point A to Point B, but maybe that’s its advantage. Not a lot of people seem to go here, so it's a good place for when you want to avoid the crowd. But plans are in place to make much-needed improvements to the garden. "We are currently working with the Japanese Embassy to rehabilitate the garden in time for the 70th Anniversary of the normalization of Japan-Philippines relations." In 1967, the Japanese government donated the garden to the PH as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

8. The park is now cleaner, safer, more secure.

There was a time when it was all a mess but the last five years have seen big changes. The vendors adhere to park restrictions. The entrances have been cut down to three; because more entryways mean more chances of petty crimes happening. And then there are the guards in their American period Philippine Constabulary uniforms watching over the park and its visitors, Luneta’s answer to Intramuros’ guardia sibils.

9. The Rizal Monument, of course!

Is there a Manila keepsake that can beat a souvenir photo taken against good ol’ JR’s statue? You can have a sunset backdrop anywhere but only Luneta has this iconic landmark. The monument is under the care of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ (NHCP) Materials Research and Conservation Division. Every year, according to the Commission, just before the celebration of Independence Day, the NHCP "deploys 10 men, over 40 man hours, to spruce it up." Another trivia from the Commission: "The monument was paid for by donations. On the organizing committee were Teodoro R. Yangco, great grand uncle of the artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho; Maximino Paterno, brother of Pedro Paterno; and Ariston Bautista, grand-uncle of present NHCP chair Lisa Guerrero Nakpil. Paterno and Bautista were part of Rizal’s circle of ilustrados in Madrid."

10. The dancing fountains

In the old days and today, Luneta is known to bring people together. And there’s no better time to gather in the park than at dusk. At 6 p.m. every night, the fountains on the central lagoon begin dancing to lights and music. There’s even an element of fire, Apelar tells us. "The atmosphere once the show starts is pretty exciting as it is bustling with families and people from all walks of life. The weather is also much cooler in the early evenings and everyone wants to be out. Once the show starts, children with their families, couples, and tourists gather to watch the show."

Also read: A Children's Play Garden is Now Open For All at Luneta

2024-06-30T04:06:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd