It's quite a shame that I've never been to a park in my whole life. I may have seen one before but I never had the opportunity to actually explore and spend time in one... until my Public Relations professor invited us to Quezon City Circle.
I have a vision of what a park would look like. Vast grass fields, tall trees with thick leaves, wooden benches lining up on the walk way, a water fountain, and of course, the lots and lots of people. However, QC circle was a place beyond my vision.
Since I went there with my brother by car, we had to find and PAY for parking which was conveniently found inside the circle. It was quite spacious so it was easy for us to find a spot, particularly in the middle.
We were greeted by a huge, bright, colorful circle flooring which I thought was already the whole QC Circle. As expected, there were a fountain located in the middle and some benches on the sides. Families, barkadas, and couples were everywhere. Music was also playing on the background although their song choices were rather... interesting.
Honestly, I was not sure what to do there but I found myself watching other people do their own business.
When it was finally my time to have fun, I had the chance to explore other parts of the park. To my surprise, there was a rappel and bungee jumping station, mini amusement park (named Circle of Fun), kart racing track, and more! The problem was either they were closed or we had to PAY to use them.
One thing that I did not mind giving out my money for was the
biking station. It was definitely the highlight of my trip. The rate was 80php per hour which I think is reasonable if you did consume the whole hour.
As I was riding my bike for a few rounds, I stumbled upon a small flea market area which literally blocked the biking way. Honestly, the stalls were more of a nuisance rather than anything entertaining.
Located nearby was a large area for the
playground with possibly all the structures a kid could dream of. Every structure was colorful and the ground was carpeted with fake grass. It looked relatively clean which makes it a perfect place for kids and their families to play. The best part? It's free!
Much like any trips, I was eager to find something to eat. I was expecting to see legitimate street food carts like the ones I see on the streets selling
kwek-kwek or squid balls but instead, I found a stall selling "street foods". I ended up eating nothing.
Even though my brother and I arrived quite late, we knew we had to leave before it's completely dark for the sake of our safety. Before leaving, I managed to catch the mausoleum lit up which was a nice conclusion to my first visit to the QC Circle.
To summarize:
THE GOOD
- Spacious
- Offers a lot of activities for park-goers
- Great place for families, barkadas and couples (especially)
- Parking spaces for car owners
- Playground
THE BAD
- Had to PAY to enjoy some services (including parking)
- Disappointing Food stalls
- Not so safe at night
As a recommendation, they should at least lower the rates of their services so that more people could avail them. Ideally, a park is a place wherein anyone could enjoy and not just those who have the means to enjoy. It would be best if their services would be free of charge but that would be asking for too much especially now that the place is highly commercialized.
Perhaps in the PR point of view, the QC Circle of today is reflective of how Quezon City has already evolved into a modern and prosperous city. It is also quite evident how much importance was given by the government to the improvement of the park which is good for their image BUT if we look closely, it is not completely good for everyone.
So with all the improvements it has undergone, is QC Circle still considered a park? Yes, of course. People would still flock the place inspite the enhancements and whatnot. It would still be an an effective venue for events that wish to reach the masses.
It was a good first experience and given the chance, I will definitely visit again.
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