Gemma wants no more food joints in Rizal Park

Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta has called on Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers to speed up the filing of a House resolution demanding a moratorium on building commercial establishments in Luneta Park to maintain the historic value of the place.

Cruz-Araneta reiterated that the presence of three food chain outlets affects the historic value of the place where national hero Jose Rizal gave up his life for the Filipino people. "Luneta Park is a historical landmark which should not be touched for commercial purposes," the tourism secretary told reporters in a briefing.

Barbers, chairman of the House of Representatives Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee (TCAC), vowed to file a motion demanding the moratorium in Luneta-Rizal Park, and stress the need to respect historical landmarks.

A fastfood outlet is situated at the corner of T.M. Kalaw and Ma. Orosa streets, while a hamburger joint is located at the corner of T.M. Kalaw and Taft Avenue. The third food outlet, a restaurant, is still under construction with two unfinished miniature dinosaurs on its roof.

The fastfood joint pays P134,000 for monthly rentals, and the hamburger chair branch P50,000, to the National Park Development Authority (NPDA), after bidding in 1998, officials said. The food chains started operations last year.

Cruz-Araneta said the government's contracts with the food chains were approved by former President Fidel Ramos and former Executive Secretary Ruben Torres.

Lawmakers branded as "imperfect" the construction of the establishments in the historical area.

However, officials of the NPDA said the areas where the stores were built are concession areas, which means they can be leased to raise funds for the disabled.