When you live in a tropical country like the Philippines, you wouldn’t miss a chance to spend a holiday or a vacation in a place cooler than most other places.
One very popular summer destination in the country is Baguio City. It has been named as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” for decades. People from all over the country, and perhaps even abroad, come to visit this urbanized area in the Benguet Province for some relaxation and fun during the peak of that hot and humid season.
Baguio City lies in the Northern Part of Luzon, within the mountainous Cordillera Autonomous Region or CAR. Said to be about 1500 meters above sea level, it is one of the few places in the country blessed with cooler climate – about eight degrees Celsius cooler than the average atmospheric temperature in the lowland areas.
Although it was readily accessible by a long bus ride coming from Manila, I never got the chance earlier to visit this place. It was on November 2012 when I finally got to see this City of Pines first hand.
This city is gifted with a variety of cultural, historical, and scenic attractions. Right after we had a quick call-of-nature break in one of the pay-rest rooms along the Session Road (which by the way were decently clean ), we stopped by the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, or better known as the Baguio Cathedral, for a quick photo op.
The Baguio Cathedral is one of the many familiar landmarks in Baguio. It is unique for its architecture, with twin belfries on each side topped with pyramidal roofs, and its rose pink facade. It can be easily spotted as it is at the heart of the city, and near the bus terminal.
For some quick snack, we wandered through the stretch of the Session Road which is the city’s commercial center and main thoroughfare. This sloping road is lined with different establishments – like boutiques, food stalls, and business centers – which basically caters to all the needs of both locals and visitors alike.
One may choose either to walk along Session Road or take a quick jeepneyride to see the famous Burnham Park also at the heart of the city. One cannot miss this place as it occupies over 32 hectares of the city center.
Burnham Park is the oldest of all parks in Baguio and most likely the most popular just like the Luneta Park in Manila. Named after its master planner, Daniel Hudson Burnham, an American architect and urban planner, this place is a popular venue for most festivities celebrated in Baguio.
Flowers were everywhere in Burnham Park!
This huge park is divided into more than ten clusters which include a man-made lake often referred to as the Burnham Lagoon, Children’s Playground, Rose Garden, and an Orchidarium to name a few.
As many as the attractions offered in this park are the activities which may also be done aside from simple strolling around the area.
On our second day in Baguio, we visited the Mines View Park which basically is a winding stretch of numerous souvenir shops which offer a huge variety of items like wood carvings, clothing and other textile, shell products, food, etc. At the very end is the view deck which gives a panoramic view of the mountain ranges and the sites where gold, silver, copper, and other precious metals where once mined in Baguio.
Aside from the public market, Mines View Park is a great place to buy all yourpasalubong needs as there are several items to choose from and haggling would surely be easy (as competition here is of course really tight). Just make sure that you won’t have any other places to go after or that you can carry your things properly amidst the huge crowd inside the park.
Baguio’s Public Market serves as another tourist must-visit as it offers yet a wide variety of items not just those coming from the Cordilleras, but also from other nearby provinces like Pangasinan and the Ilocos region. It is located at the lower end of Session Road and near Burnham Park.
I particularly like going to this market (we actually went here about three times) because it is clean and relatively more organized than any other public markets I have seen. It is a busy place but not so crowded, not too noisy, and of course, not very humid. Perhaps they keep a high standard because they knew people from different places come to this market to purchase local goods. It is like the melting pot of fresh harvests, crafts, and other products of several provinces in Luzon. It is very popular that many locals from lowland areas just go to Baguio for great finds in the city market.
Fresh produce in Baguio is of course relatively cheaper than in Manila (which by the way, may or is actually coming from Baguio) so if travel permits you to sack some good amount of lettuces and broccoli, go and buy as well for your neighbors! If you don’t mind carrying meat products, I suggest buying sausages or longganisa in Baguio as well. They practically have all popular versions of longganisa: Vigan, Lucban, Guagua, skinless, sweet, tangy, spicy, garlicy, etc! Name it!
If you’re into dried fish or dried sea food, they also have it there, and I find many interesting dried fish there which are not readily available in some lowland public markets, like the meaty-looking labahita! I actually regret not buying some..
On the other hand, if you like pranela cloth (flannel) for bath towels or blankets, they are sold relatively cheaper in Baguio. They may be thick yet soft and so are also very popular here to keep residents warm. Other popular items which may be brought are bonnets and caps, scarves, gloves, and jackets.
We also went to see another popular place in Baguio which is The Mansion. It is known to be the place where Philippines Presidents stay when in Baguio for official visits and engagements (or perhaps, simply to spend their summer in Baguio) .
It was originally built in 1908 for US Governor-Generals and named Mansion House then. Destroyed in 1945 during the battle for liberation, it was later rebuilt in 1947. Its majestic facade and well manicured garden makes it a popular site for picture taking. Its gate, meanwhile, is said to be patterned after that of London’s Buckingham Palace.
Opposite The Mansion is the Wright Park. It was named after Luke E. Wright who served as US Governor-General in the Philippines from 1904 to 1906.
Flowers beautify this park as well! B-)
It is popular for two things: the “Pool of Pines” which is a rectangular, 100 meter long pool of reflecting water lined with numerous pine trees which are common in Baguio;
and the kiddie horse rides which cause the park to be mistakenly called by few as “Ride Park”.
There were vendors who sell plants around this area. Just be aware that these plants may not thrive in the same way when you go back to Manila or elsewhere in the lowlands.
The last place we visited was the Baguio Botanical Garden which is located east downtown from the city center. You cannot miss this place for its big sign and the bunch of Igorot natives in their authentic clothing who were willing to take their pictures taken (but with a fee). Just a bit of advice: when you take a picture with one or two of these Igorot, be prepared to give an amount to the others as well as they will also come near you and lend their hand (in a begging gesture). So, you might feel the need to give more than what you think you should.
No worries, I am pretty sure you’ll have so much fun taking pictures with them. I saw those Igorot who were really looking old but still knew how to give that kawaii pose (yeah, with the peace sign :P)! Really funny and cute!
Botanical Garden, also called as the Igorot Village was originally used to feature the native huts of the Igorot tribe and typical in the Cordilleras.
Now, many other attractions maybe found in this park including a Japanese and a Korean themed areas, an art studio, a small replica of the San Juanico Bridge, and so on.
We spent a good amount of time here and waited till the sun was about to set. It wasn’t actually really cold during the day in Baguio when we went there (hence, the sleeveless attire), but at night, darn it was freezing!
It was a short visit in Baguio but I surely had fun and got some good memories about it. I like all the flowers I see at the parks and even around the city proper. I like the cleanliness and the variety of goodies offered in the public market. I like the courteous people the history behind every place we see in this city.
Once in a while, it wouldn’t hurt to get out of our usual environment and try out other things. This trip I had may be simply out of curiosity: I wanted to feel how it feels like to be in Baguio and I wanted to know why it is so popular. Now I know why. If you want a simple relaxation – clean, cheap, and peaceful – go to Baguio. One item in my bucket list – check! B-)
Special thanks to Lau and his relatives for accommodating me and making this trip possible.
Take time to travel and see the world. There are so much out there to see and experience. Feel free!
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
Have a great day ahead!
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