City set to pursue initial rehab of Wright Park

The city government is set to implement this year the overall rehabilitation of Wright Park, a project seen to improve tourism in the area.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city has allotted P119 million to fund the first phase of the Wright Park development project, which is one of the 54 projects laid out pursuant to the city’s development agenda.
He said the project will benefit the pony boys or horse handlers at Wright Park, who are among the sectors that were greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Wright Park development project was conceptualized at the height of the pandemic and is set for implementation by phases depending on fund availability.
“We are going to start this project next year, which will benefit the pony boys,” Magalong said on Dec. 27, 2022, during the signing of a memorandum of agreement to scale up the implementation of the “Trabaho, Turismo, Asenso”, an inter-agency initiative that aims to raise the level of tourism and entrepreneurial services of organizations trained by the Department of Tourism-Cordillera.
Based on the master plan prepared by the City Planning and Development Office, the development of Wright Park will include the establishment of a preservation zone or biodiversity area; conservation zone that includes the gazebo, rotunda, and pool of pines among other things; recreational zone that includes alfresco dining, picnic grounds, lawn, or open field; visitors services and facilities zone that includes horse stables, parking, and commercial stalls; and access zone that includes the existing trails and sidewalks.
One aspect of the development or Wright Park would allow the pony boys to bring their clients to the city’s watershed areas, which is part of the city’s efforts on promoting sustainable tourism.
The city will continue providing opportunities for the horse handlers at Wright Park to enhance their potentials to cater to tourists and the locals. – Jane B. Cadalig