Zamboanga City's Abong Abong Park to reopen for Holy Week


ZAMBOANGA CITY – One of the best national parks in Zamboanga del Sur Region is set to open in time for the Holy Week.

Zamboanga city government personnel spruce up one of the crosses at the Abong Abong Park in time for its re-opening next week. (Zambo LGU photo)

The Abong-Abong Park, according to local officials, will be open to the public for the first time since the pandemic started in early 2020.

The Abong Abong Park is visited by an estimated 20,000 Catholics in Zamboanga City during Holy Week to pray at the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Zamboanga mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar met with officials of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), Office of the City Administrator, City Health Office, Zamboanga police, Task Force Zamboanga and Pasonanca barangay officials in order to finalize measures and guidelines for the park re-opening next week.

Personnel from the City General Services Office (GSO) are stepping up preparations such as painting the different Stations of the Cross, sprucing up trees, cleaning the surroundings, and repairing dilapidated roads to receive thousands of visitors expected to visit the park.

Efigenio Julian, Barangay Pasonanca Chairman, said the same pattern of security, parking, exit and entrance will be employed.

Hundreds of police and military personnel are to be deployed to ensure order among park visitors.

The park was closed in the years 2020 and 2021 due to health risks posed by the Covid-19.