Completing the city's fourfold push for renewal is the rehabilitation of the historic Plaza Rizal, a key public space located near the Sto. Niño Church and the city government building. Anchored in Spanish colonial town planning principles, the PHP 50-million project aims to restore the symmetrical visual and cultural alignment between church, state, and civic life.
A key aspect of the redesign is the repositioning of the central stage to open direct sightlines from the Sto. Niño Church to City Hall — an homage to traditional Philippine civic layout. The new design will also showcase native flora and fauna, encouraging biodiversity and local pride.
The initiative is backed by TIEZA and supported technically by the University of Santo Tomas – Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (UST-CCCPET), ensuring historical accuracy and environmental sustainability.
"The revitalized plaza will serve as both a living monument to our past and a dynamic platform for civic and cultural engagement," said City Architect Ian Ray G. Perez.
Individually, each of these four projects addresses distinct needs — economic, cultural, transport, and recreational. Collectively, they form a strategic infrastructure matrix aimed at turning Tacloban into a thriving tourism hub. With these developments, Tacloban is no longer just a city recovering from tragedy, it is a city accelerating into a future of promise.