THE MacArthur Park located on a private lot in Barangay Bonuan Gueset where the monument of General Douglas Mac Arthur was erected in the 1980s will still be retained and developed by the current city administration in addition to the new site in Tondaligan Beach.

This was announced by Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez during the 78th year Commemoration of the Lingayen Gulf Landing at the new Mac Arthur Park built by the past Lim administration at Tondaligan Ferdinand Park.

She said Dagupan became a landmark in world history when it was made as the first command headquarters of General MacArthur in Luzon when he began to liberate the Luzon island from the Japanese occupation forces.

The late historian Restituto Basa wrote in his book “History of Dagupan” that upon landing at the Dagupan Blue Beach beginning January 9, 1945, General MacArthur made the Home Economics building of the West Central Elementary School in downtown Dagupan as his temporary home and command post after a pontoon bridge was built over Dawel River.

Fernandez thanked the Jayceeken led by Rex Catubig who took action when the old Home Economics building at WCES was demolished and sought that it be restored to remind future Dagupenos of the important role played by their city during the liberation of Luzon.

The Department of Education and the National Historical Commission responded to the call of Jayceeken and efforts were made to restore the building with memorabilia about  MacArthur’s stay, ie., where the general left his utensils, oversized bed and bath tub, etc.

Mayor Fernandez also took the occasion to announce that she will rebuild the Health Center at the former lot vacated by the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center of DSWD to become the health center of One Bonuan or the barangays of Bonuan Gueset, Bonuan Boquig and Bonuan Binloc.

She said the project was already included in the proposed Supplemental Budget No. 1, but it was given not due course by the seven-man majority in the Dagupan City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Fernandez said she enlisted the help of former Councilor Karlos Reyna IV, a civil engineer, to institute improvements that will help promote the park as the top tourist destination in Dagupan.

She said the plan to construct a pavilion in the area, courtesy of the national government, was also derailed because the SP majority rejected the Supplemental Annual Investment Program for 2022 but it will still be pursued. (Leonardo Micua)

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