Third and fourth year students from the FU Department of Architecture & Fine Arts presented their study of Rizal Boulevard, which documented current conditions and envisioned future development plans for now and the next 10 years.
Instructors Ray Villanueva and Val Vinarao led two courses focused on the Boulevard, culminating in the final review.
Four esteemed reviewers were invited to witness the presentations, and provide expert advice and probing questions. Architects Manny Almagro and Rene Armogenia as well as City Administrator William Ablong, and Rev. Carlton “Cobbie” Palm.
Joining the reviewers was Leo Mapicpic from the Friends of the Environment of Negros Oriental (FENOR) and some FU administrators and faculty, including Vice Presidents Victor Vicente “Dean” Sinco, Dr. Eva Melon, as well as Deans Aparicio Mequi, and Marlon Tanilon. The room was primed for a good discussion.
Villanueva initiated the review with the caveat that the students were asked to focus specifically on the coastline between Looc and Tinago. Recognizing that a true Master Plan for Dumaguete would include a much larger area (i.e. from the airport to Robinsons terminal), he said he hoped that the Rizal Boulevard study could be one key part of that overall plan, and that the presentations would “ignite the imagination and excite city advocates and developers about what Rizal Boulevard could be.”
Several themes emerged quickly from the individual presentations: Preserving the Past, Sustainable Development for the Future, and Connections to the City.
Students went into detail describing the many ways that Rizal Boulevard could be enhanced in these regards — ranging from an amphitheater, public memorials, and water treatment facilities, to the finer details of pedestrian cross walks, wheel chair accessibility, and garbage segregation.
Four hours later, the reviewers began to see Rizal Boulevard in a whole new light, as a multi-faceted park with expansive history and future potential.
We were shown details we had never noticed before like poor accessibility and lack of shade for vendors.
We were excited about integrated water treatment solutions that would clean the shoreline while beautifying the park.
There was also the possibility of pedestrianizing Burgos Street as an open-air market for fruit vendors and small cafes, to better connect the boulevard to the city’s commercial district.
The reviewers were equally engaged, pushing the students to consider the ramifications of their design. “You have come up with a good plan, but you’ll need to answer: 1) how to relocate the informal settlers, 2) how to manage wastewater, and 3) how to redirect heavy traffic (buses and sugar cane trucks) away from Rizal Boulevard,” pointed out Armogenia.
Ablong thanked the students for “integrating livelihood in development plans, especially for the small vendors who have traditionally made the Boulevard their marketplace. Too often, these vendors are missed out by big development plans.”
At one point, Almagro noted, “This is a wake-up call for the City! We should have been doing this 10 years ago, but no one has pushed for it. You students are the forerunners… Foundation University is becoming the center for architecture and design in the Visayas.”
It was a thoroughly enlightening afternoon and very gratifying to see the hard work of the students and instructors come to fruition. Dumaguete has a great resource in the intellect and energy of its campuses — and it is hoped the City will make the most of that service as our community continues to grow.
