DUMAGUETE CITY — For years, people walking between the two main sections of Pantawan People’s Park used a narrow path along Rizal Boulevard. Construction between late 2024 and mid-2025 replaced it with a wide brick promenade on a reinforced shoreline. BNNO followed the work in a series of on-site updates. This is the timeline from that coverage.
What the project is
In November 2024, BNNO reported that a 360-meter shoreline protection project from Pantawan 1 to Pantawan 2 was under construction. Its purpose was to protect Rizal Boulevard from erosion and storm surges. The design called for a buffer that would widen the promenade and protect nearby facilities. It also included a reinforced structure with a wave deflector and breaker blocks, meant to address risks linked to climate change.
Timeline
November 5, 2024. BNNO posted a video update of the walkway expansion at Pantawan on Rizal Boulevard.
November 20, 2024. BNNO reported the scope above: 360 meters from Pantawan 1 to Pantawan 2, a buffer, a wave deflector and breaker blocks.
December 17–19, 2024. BNNO reported on repair and expansion of the walkway connecting Pantawan 1 and 2. The post said the work would turn the once narrow pathway into a spacious promenade for walkers and joggers.
January 24–25, 2025. In Cebuano and English updates, BNNO reported that the improvement and expansion of Rizal Boulevard “from Pantawan to the port” was expected to be finished in the coming months. The work in the northern section of the boulevard included strengthening the concrete walkway and seawall against strong waves. The walkway there was widened for joggers, runners and visitors. The city described the work as climate-resilience infrastructure that would protect people and property from big waves and storms.
March 20, 2025. BNNO reported that the 360-meter project was continuing. It now had an expanded brick promenade for joggers and strollers, the buffer zone against erosion, and reinforced wave deflectors and breaker blocks to guard against storm surges and big waves.
April 24, 2025. City Engineer Lloyd Tenaja briefed city officials on the walkway expansion connecting Pantawan 1 and Pantawan 2 during an inspection. BNNO’s post called the work “almost there.”
June 9, 2025. Crews were laying the final sections of the walkway and installing lighting fixtures along the bayfront.
June 14, 2025. BNNO reported that the walkway connecting Sections 1 and 2 was nearly finished, with benches, trees and lighting fixtures along the path. Nearby, the monument to the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres on the baywalk was getting landscaping, better lighting and refreshed plaques as part of the same round of improvements.
October 16, 2025. The city held a ceremonial inauguration of the Pantawan under the new city administration, which took office at the end of June 2025. BNNO reported that new signage was installed and that the program referred to the area as the “New Rizal Boulevard.”
Before and after
Photos BNNO published in March 2025 show the stretch before and after the work. Before, a narrow concrete edge ran beside an exposed shoreline. After, a wide brick promenade with lamp posts runs along a reinforced seawall. Aerial photos BNNO took in September 2025 show the finished waterfront joining the park’s open lawns.
Why the shoreline matters
The shoreline work was meant to protect the boulevard from erosion, storm surges and big waves. Rough seas reach this waterfront during the northeast monsoon (Amihan) and during storms.
For what the finished park looks like now, see our guide to Pantawan People’s Park. BNNO’s editorial, “Adto ta sa Pantawan,” gives the newsroom’s view.
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