Rizal Park damage from papal mass hits P6.8 M

MANILA, Philippines - The damage done by six million pilgrims who trooped to Rizal Park for the mass led by Pope Francis reached P6.8 million, an official said yesterday.

Beth Espino, executive director of National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), said the bulk of the money will go to landscaping as the damages to plants and shrubs reached P6.78 million.

The rest of the money will go to plumbing work (P15,255) and electrical work (P17,600).

 “We are asking help from the Department of Tourism and Department of Budget and Management to extend financial assistance to us,” Espino said. The NPDC is under the DOT.

Espino described the rehabilitation is geared toward “restoration,” which means they would not replant seeds to grow plants. Instead, they would buy grown plants to replace those damaged by the pilgrims.

NPDC added that hopefully the budget would be given to them before summer so replanting would not be so difficult.

About 30 percent of the park was damaged when six million people from different parts of the country trooped to Manila for Pope Francis’ culminating mass on Jan. 18.

The most damaged area was the center of the park, where the Rizal Monument, which is considered a national treasure, was erected. Pilgrims ignored barricades meant to prevent people from staying near the monument, Espino said.

The flagpole’s base was not spared as pilgrims stood and sat on it, she added.

Espino said such actions are considered a desecration of national and historical property.

Aside from damaging the plants and historical sites, pilgrims also left tons of garbage as their “remembrance” to the park, which is considered as national and cultural heritage.

“Filipinos are religious people. But we have to improve on having a code of sanitation, especially in public areas,” Espino said.