BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The city government save P5 million in providing the water requirement for Burnham Lake, after two weeks of continuous rains brought by Tropical Storms Luis and Maymay, along with the enhanced southwest monsoon,
City Environment and Parks Management Office head Rhenan Diwas, said the continuous rains that persisted in the city for more than two weeks had already provided nearly three-fourths of the lake’s water requirement, sparing the local government from having to source the water needed to fill the lake in time for its targeted opening on September 1, 2026, during the city’s 117th Charter Anniversary.
He said, the lake’s water requirement is the local government’s counterpart to the initial P100 million rehabilitation project funded by the state-owned Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which is part of the broader P400 million Burnham Park rehabilitation project.
The budget for the water supply component alone was estimated at around P5 million.
Diwas stated that the ongoing rehabilitation of Burnham Lake is now in its finishing touches, in time for the targeted opening of the city’s major tourist attraction on September 1, which will offer both residents and tourists memorable experiences through visits and boating activities at the lake.
The Burnham Lake rehabilitation project began in October last year and was originally set for completion by March, but a number of unforeseen factors caused repeated delays in the attraction’s opening to ensure the safety of parkgoers and those availing of the boating activities.
Diwas stated that part of the project involves the installation of detention tanks in strategic areas around the lake, ensuring that surface water flowing into it passes through these tanks to guarantee the quality of water used for recreational purposes.
CEPMO is also studying the different fish species that may be allowed in the lake to ensure suitability for park-goers patronizing the boating activity, providing them with an added attraction while going around the man-made lake.
