One landmark that I have been familiar with since I was a child is the Jaro Cathedral belfry. The building is located at the plaza across from the church. The area has been neglected for a long time and I am glad to see the city developing the area to become more attractive and useful as a park for the benefit of its citizens and visitors.

The area, I’ve been told, is being developed as part of a program towards coming up with more open spaces like parks particularly where there are already plazas around the city. I have memories of getting a ride back to my father’s hometown whenever we went to the city usually to eat or shop. The informal jeepney terminals used be around the plaza. Other jeepneys rounded the streets for their return trips instead of stopping at a terminal. Now you have to travel to the provincial jeepney terminals at the outskirts of the city to get a ride to the other towns.

–