Doña Leonila Park Today

As far as I can remember, Doña Leonila Park has always been, what I can call, San Pablo City’s only real park. Located right beside the City Hall and overlooking Sampalok Lake, Doña Leonila Park is a really good place to hang-out, relax and enjoy the outdoors. Before the creation of the many mini-parks around Sampalok Lake, Doña Leonila Park was the prime resting and hang-out area of those who visits the fabled lake.

Today, Doña Leonila Park is always kept clean. There are street sweepers who maintain the cleanliness of the park all day. I remember some years ago, Doña Leonila Park was like an abandoned lot. Trash was everywhere and the park was highly vandalized but, as I’ve said, that was some years ago.

I guess we should thank our Local Government for keeping the place clean and worthy of visitation but unfortunately, keeping the park clean is not enough, it has to be well maintained as well. Doña Leonila Park, although kept clean, needs a lot of fixing.

The Local Government does not need to add anything to it. They just have to fix those that are there already like the cracked pathways, the smashed concrete benches, the broken railings which is a danger to everyone, the fallen down metal umbrellas (obviously, I don’t know what they’re called so I’m just like describing them) and others. Those things have been there for years and I’m surprised that none of our Local Government officials have noticed them when they’re just right beside it and I’ve even seen some of them jog around the lake every morning (although not too often).

What I’m saying is that, before we start adding new things that will further develop the Sampalok Lake area for tourism, why not fix first the ones that need fixing. We tend to keep on adding things but we also tend to forget a lot of things in the process.

Healing the wounds of Doña Leonila will add more life to it. People go to the park to enjoy the clean air, to relax and just enjoy the natural surrounding while spending some quality time with their family and friends. I think that it’ll be more enjoyable if the place they’re gonna spend their time in is safe and well maintained.

I’m not saying that the park is in chaotic state, no! What I’m saying is that the park needs fixing. A clean park is good but fixed, clean and well maintained park is better!