New EBJ Freedom Park

EBJ Freedom Park in San Jose, Antique gets a facelift with the addition of the children's playground, and a walkway lined with more benches.

The park is filled with children and park-goers every afternoon. It looks like San Jose is getting a more active civic life, which is good. I hope park-going does not stop with the opening of Gaisano Grand Mall in June. There is a plan to build a civic center for senior citizens. That is a great idea.

The landscape of EBJ Freedom Park has changed a lot from how it looked like in the 70's when we were kids. There used to be a huge Mango tree in middle, where the EBJ statue is now. People are happy that the swing, seesaw and monkey bars are back in colorful versions, and the cluster of slides are always full of children.

It is also worth mentioning that the streets around EBJ Freedom Park are filled with new establishments, like Mang Inasal in what used to be the old Chinese school, and the new RCBC and RML Manokan in the new building in what used to be old Coca-Cola bodega, where my classmate Joan Montinola lived.

The park was our only playground then. We lived along Carretas Street, now Governor Villavert Street, and all the kids in the neighborhood gather at the park after school. I remember my playmates Mark Pe, Franklin Pe, the Marquilleros - Joe Rey, Gemma, Sonia, Micmic Pe, Pokwang, the Granadas, and many others.