The blooming and booming Cadiz City in Negros Occidental has another thing to be proud of – the redeveloped Cadiz City Children’s Playground (CCCP), also dubbed as the playground of generations.
With a budget of P18 million from the Department of Budget and Management’s “Green, Green, Green” program, the city government took time last year to revitalize the CCCP, considered as one of the famous landmarks in the “City of Whales”.
DBM’s “Green, Green, Green” is a unique assistance program that aims to make the 145 cities across the country, including Cadiz, be more livable and sustainable by developing their open spaces.
Blessed and inaugurated on Easter Sunday, April 20, the reopened CCCP still boasts of famous iconic features, like the big shoe house, giant squash, strangler fig tree, two carabaos locking horns, the famed three wise monkeys, and a majestic lion’s head, that attract and wow kids, and even the kids-at-heart.
The playground’s vibe remains more than just a recreational space as it mirrors a visual and cultural narrative of Cadiz.
Moreover, CCCP is a symbol of resilience, history, and unity of Cadizeños through the years; a beloved landmark that had stood the test of time.
Built during the late president, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s era, CCCP has long been a witness to the city’s growth – from a peaceful, economically-thriving town to a vibrant chartered city on July 4, 1967.
It survived two harshest typhoons that hammered Visayas, including Negros Occidental – Typhoon Frank in 2009 and Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr said: “CCCP is a living testament to the Cadizeños’ roots and resilience. It represents Cadiz, then and now, as the land of splendid opportunities.”
“It also serves as center that could tell many stories of families, of students, of friends, of workers, and many more – packed in one episode – great to be told and retold from time to time,” the mayor added in a press release May 1.
“CCCP is not just for children, but for everybody regardless of age. Here, we are building a culture of compassion and a mindset for excellence,” Escalante stressed.
By reviving this space, “we’re not only preserving history; we’re creating a new tourist attraction, and memories for future generations,” he added. ||
