Biking in Balara Filters Park

The Balara Filters Park is one of the oldest recreation areas in Quezon City. First opened to the public in 1953, this 60-hectare park (almost as big as Rizal Park) is located in the Diliman village of Pansol in Quezon City, adjacent to the University of the Philippines Diliman main campus. This intriguing place contains an assortment of Art Deco structures, an old windmill, a replica of a fountain designed by a national artist, a picnic grove, an amphitheater, and several playgrounds.

Despite being one of Quezon’s City major parks, the historic value of the structures, and natural beauty of the surroundings, the park now lies in a sad state of neglect and dilapidation, resembling an eerie ghost town rather than a public park. Biking through this area always makes me feel like I’ve just entered Silent Hill or a long-abandoned town in The Last of Us.

The park feels like a time capsule, offering a slice of nostalgia in the middle of a modern city. This large green area is sandwiched between the bustling Katipunan Avenue on the west, Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club, and the upscale, gated village of La Vista along its south and east. Back during college days, we used to eat in Mang Jimmy’s, an eatery along Carriedo Street in Balara, known for their sisig, tapa, and unli-rice. For years now, we’ve also been biking back and forth through Balara as a shortcut from Quezon City going to Tumana bridge in Marikina via Katipunan Extension.

While there’s a hairpin turn in the road that’s pretty steep, this route offers an alternative way for bikers to pass away from the high volume traffic along Katipunan Avenue. I usually take Balara for granted whenever we pass through, but I realize that the area’s rich history and notable landmarks might make it an object of curiosity for urban adventurers and cyclists looking for offbeat destinations.

Balara Filters Park is named after its location as it occupies part of the old Balara Filtration Plant complex, one of the main treatment facilities for water coming from the La Mesa Dam. It was first constructed in 1938 by the Metropolitan Water District as part of Manila’s water system (which included the Ipo Dam, the Novaliches Reservoir and the San Juan Reservoir).

Amenities such as the rest house and swimming pools were added between 1949 and 1959 to serve the water district’s employees. Eventually, some facilities were opened to the public. Since there were no big malls at the time, the park became a much sought-after recreation area for those based in Quezon City. Unfortunately, the park was closed to the public during the Marcos years and neglected for decades, which led to its sorry state. In 1997, after the MWSS was privatized, the site was turned over to Manila Water which began some restoration works.

In 2003, it was rehabilitated by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Billion Trees Movement and was reopened to the public by the Quezon City government. That attempt to restore the park to its former glory didn’t last. As of 2020, many of the structures are now in a state of ruin and neglect again, with gates to the smaller parks locked up and shuttered off.

The most visible landmark on the main road is a small fountain rotunda known as “Bernardine and her cherubs,” by Fermin Gomez, which features a water-bearer surrounded by cherubs. Turning left from the fountain takes you to Carriedo Street, a small picnic grove with several concrete picnic tables, children’s playgrounds, the old water tower, and windmill park.

One of the most prominent structures you’ll see is the Cerro de Carriedo (Carriedo Hill), an abandoned water tank named after Francisco Carriedo y Peredo (1690-1743), a Spaniard who raised the funds to developed the water system of Manila.

There’s a fountain dedicated to him in the Santa Cruz district of Manila. The main entrance to the tower is padlocked, hiding old desks and tables stacked inside.

The Windmill Park is right behind the water tower through an eerie, ornate gate. Who would have thought that there’s an actual windmill in Quezon City?

The windmill is actually the original water tank built by the Metropolitan Water District for the Balara community. Check out the details on those grills!

Before you reach the windmill, you’ll see a large empty fountain with a statue of La Intrepida, a local heroine riding a chariot being pulled by two carabaos. The sculpture was made by Fermin Yadao Gomez (1918-1984), a classicist sculptor from the 1940s and 1950s.

La Intrepida is dedicated to Mother Philippines as she rides a chariot pulled by two carabaos (water buffalo). Previous photos I’ve seen online show the original sculpture to be all white, but it looks like it just got a fresh coat of paint recently, with some blue touches.

The gate to the windmill park was open when we passed through, so we went in to take a look, but while taking photos, a security guard who was stationed under the windmill told us bawal pumasok. I’m not sure if this is because of the quarantine safety protocols or they just don’t allow visitors anymore, so we weren’t able to explore further inside.

According to accounts of other people who were able to visit the park before, you can find a bust of philanthropist Don Francisco Carriedo y Peredo overlooking the modern filtration facility below the hill.

There are several playgrounds around Balara Filters Park, but most have been locked up, and look more like the stuff of nightmares rather than areas children would want to actually play in. Gates to the Children’s Park and Pedro Tobias Park were locked. The gate to A. Gideon Playground was open, but we didn’t go in anymore. There’s a site marker in memory of Abraham Gideon, whom the children’s playground right beside the windmill park is named after.

While biking down Carriedo Street, we came across notable gates and signs pointing to other landmarks from the past. Anonas Amphitheater was once where National Artist Atang de la Rama performed. It was named after Filipino director, Gregorio Anonas, who served from 1934 to 1938. The grotto leads up to a small prayer and reflection area under the trees.

The park also contains a 3,000-square-metre (32,000 sq ft) elevated picnic grove, a 200-meter (660 ft) circumference oval, and other public areas, which we weren’t able to check out.

On a downhill portion of the road, you can see the Balara-San Juan Aqueducts in a small valley. The filtration plant features a Workers’ Monument by Fermin Gomez, the egg-shaped sculpture, constructed in memory of the NAWASA employees who died during the construction of the filters.

Another prominent architectural structure here is Balara Filtration Plant No. 1. done in the Art Deco style, as a tribute to the pre-war history of the whole Balara Filtration Complex.

In front of the building, you can find a study of the replica of the Carriedo Fountain in Santa Cruz, Manila designed by national artist Napoleon Abueva. The final replica can be found in front of the newer and larger MWSS Administration Building along Katipunan.

History of the Carriedo Fountain (which was once in Balara Filters Park before it was moved to Plaza Santa Cruz) as seen in the El Deposito Waterworks Museum

During the ’50s, Balara Filters Park was considered a glamorous family weekend destination, and one of the go-to places near the metro as seen in vintage postcards and photos shared on nostalgia pages on Facebook. The main landmark was Escoda Hall, a recreation area which featured three large swimming pools. The striking pavilions with Southeast Asian motif roofs were designed by National Artist for Architecture nominee Fransico Manosa. The hall itself was named after Josefa Llanes Escoda, a World War II heroine and women’s rights activist.

Balara Swimming Pool in the 50s, 60s or late 70s. Source: Old Philippines FB Page

According to an account by The Urban Roamer, the public pools were still operational and well-maintained in 2018. But as of July 2020, the swimming pools were empty and the Lakbayan Center area closed off to visitors. Guards on duty said that the swimming pools have been closed for two years now. You can still spot the distinct white and red roof of the main hall behind the gates.

This area also contains Orosa Hall, a social hall with glazed stone floor surrounded by ornately designed white iron bars and covered by the original asbestos tile green roof and an Italian-style chapel.

While I find the creepy, abandoned vibe of Balara Filters Park fascinating, it’s sad that historic spots like this aren’t preserved and that potential visitors are turned away. Some previously public areas are not accessible and most can only be glimpsed at through rusting gates. Public funds were once spent to develop this park, and its original vision was to be something that people could enjoy. While locals still hang out at to catch the breeze in some spots, structures in the area are badly run down and in need of a facelift.

This is such a large green area in the middle of a concrete jungle, and if the park were only restored and taken care of properly (both by the management and visiting public), it could be another alternative park destination in Quezon City.

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