VICENTE DE LARA PARK & Around Provincial Capitol

A walk through VICENTE DE LARA PARK was my idea. While there, I wanted to watch the chess players and film some people enjoying the shade of the old, big trees and see children playing. 

I came from Divisoria on Don Apolinar Velez Street and started my walk at the monument TRIBUTE TO THE SLAIN MEMBERS OF THE PRESS.

When I didn’t see any chess players, I was disappointed at first. Instead of chess players, soldiers with dogs had set up here. One of them waved me around and told me that the park was closed to the public. 

No, not because of the Covid-19 measures, but because of refugees or displaced persons who had set themselves up here in the park after an incident between the military and communist terrorists in Balingoan. They had to be forcibly removed because they refused to return to their homes and vowed to come back. Since then, the soldiers have been in the park to prevent just that.

When I asked if I could take photographs and film here, I got a positive answer. Curiously, a film crew from a television station was also on the road here.

I started with some panoramic pictures of the park and the Capitol, then wandered around the Capitol building and found the food stalls between the Capitol and the Central Bank.

First the panoramic photos and then the video: