|
BAGUIO CITY
- The centrally located and thickly-wooded Burnham Park, named after Daniel H. Burnham, the American architect who planned Baguio, is the city’s foremost and oldest park. It forms the heart of the city and its focal point is romantic, photogenic and man-made Burnham Lake. The lake was formerly a natural spring which drained northward to the foot of Session Rd. to join with the Balili River in La Trinidad. The park also has restaurants, a children's playground, flower-punctuated walks, parade ground, sports and recreational facilities and an orchidarium with various flowers and orchids on display and for sale.
- The Mansion House, along Leonard Wood Rd., is the president's palatial official summer residence. It was built in 1908 for U.S. governors-generals, destroyed in 1945, rebuilt and taken over by Philippine presidents. Its lovely interiors are a museum housing memorabilia and works of art collected over its years by former presidents and it has been the site of international conferences, serving as the seat of the Second Session of Economic Commission of Asia and the Far East in 1947, and the site of first meeting of the South East Asia Union, popularly known as the Baguio Conference of 1950 which was conceived and convened by President Elpidio Quirino. Within the compound and adjacent to the Mansion is a two-story building which serves as the official residence of the Philippine President. A contingent of Philippine Marines maintains the security of this large compound and you will see some of them manning the guardhouse at the vicinity of the entry gate. Parts of it are open to tourists. Outside its tall and ornate iron main gate, said to be a replica of the Buckingham Palace Gate, is a 100-m. (328-ft.) long and narrow 5-m. (16.4-ft.) wide rectangular reflecting pool with lotus (Pool of Pines) along a pine tree-lined walkway. At its end are a pergola-like stone structure and two stone stairways leading down to Wright Park
- The pine-forest preserve of Wright Park, named after American Gov.-Gen. Luke E. Wright (1906-1909), has pine groves and a horse riding field.
- The Baguio Botanical Gardens, along Leonard Wood Rd., is an open-air museum, amidst lovely blooms, showcasing an indigenous Ili Ti Igorot (Igorot village) featuring several prototypes of dwellings used by mountain tribes. Nearby is a handicrafts and souvenir shop. At the main entrance, you will usually find a group of Igorots dressed in their authentic native attire and regalia. For a fee, they will be more than happy to pose with visitors for a souvenir picture. It is located east of Baguio's downtown area, between Teacher's Camp and the Pacdal Circle and past Cabinet Hill. Its main entrance is along Leonard Wood Road and just across the street from Gilberto's Hotel and Baguio Vacation Hotel.
- The 24-hectare Teacher's Camp, along Leonard Wood Rd., was the former site of the Philippine Military Academy. Established by U.S. Thomasites as a vacation normal school, it was opened on April 6, 1908 and a number of buildings were built in 1912 (Benitez Hall, Ladies Hall and the Secretary’s, Undersecretary’s, Director’s and Assistant’s Cottages), 1927 (Tavera Hall, Teacher’s Hall and White Hall) and 1937 (Gen. Luna Hall). The camp is a summer training center for teachers who come to Baguio to enroll in special courses in education. Within are classrooms, dormitories, cottages, dining areas, administrative offices, assembly halls and an athletic oval. Today, it caters to conferences, meetings, seminars and social functions sponsored by the government sector. When teachers are not around for their summer courses, some of its dormitories and cottages are rented out to visitors coming up to Baguio.
- Mines View Park, located 2.5 kms. from downtown, behind the Botanical Garden, is situated on a narrow promontory on a perilous precipice. It overlooks the mining town of Itogon and offers a glimpse of the Amburayan Valley. Although one can’t actually see Benguet's “mineral bowl” of old gold and copper mines below (it has been replaced by residential subdivisions) from this promontory, it still offers a beautiful and awesome panoramic view of the pine-covered valley northwards to the rolling hills of the Cordilleras. Some Igorots, dressed in their native attire and regalia, are willing to pose, for a fee, for a photograph. To get there, take a jeepney along Magsaysay Ave. (opposite the City Public Market) or at the corner of Harrison Rd. and Perfecto St..
- The Good Shepherd Convent, at 8 Gibraltar Rd., Brgy. Mines View, downhill from Mines' View Park, provides a home for unwed mothers and adoption services for many of their babies. Its compound has beautiful landscaped gardens planted with assorted trees and colorful flowering plants. Within the compound are other buildings and facilities of the convent. Aside from being a convent, it is also a place where college and high school students from Catholic institutions spend their retreats. At one end of the parking lot is an observation deck where one gets to see the distant Cordillera mountains and a valley below which are similarly visible from the Mines View Park.
- The Baguio Cathedral, along Assumption Rd., is also called the Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement. This hilltop twin-towered structure has an attractive pink facade and 100 steps and its grounds contain the graves of bombing victims killed during World War II. It was built by the CICM missionaries and was first opened to the public on November 25, 1900 (Feast of Christ the King). Access is near the post office, the stone steps from Session Rd. or the St. Louis University.
- Lourdes Grotto, dramatically perched on 4,970-ft. high Mt. Mirador, along Dominican Rd. (the road to Dominican Hill), is a popular Holy Week pilgrimage site. It can be reached by climbing a long 252-step stairway or by driving a light vehicle through a winding, narrow and steep asphalt-paved road. Devotees who go up to the grotto to pray usually light up a candle at an altar below the image. There are also vendors at the shrine who are willing to light up a candle for you and say a prayer for whatever personal intentions you might have. A road a little further up and behind the Grotto allows one to see a strip of Naguilian Road as well as a beautiful panoramic view of a part of La Union. When the sky is clear Lingayen Gulf and portions of Pangasinan are also visible. Fog usually comes in by mid-afternoon. If you want to take photograph, it is best to visit the place early in the morning.
- Behind the shrine is the Manila Observatory, a former weather station reconstructed as a school, conference center and retreat house of Jesuits from all over the Orient. It has a marvelous view of the Cordillera Mountains, the Palispis-Aspiras Highway, Lingayen Gulf and the South China Sea to the west and Baguio City to the east. To get there, take a jeepney along Kayang St..
- The 17-hectare Diplomat Hotel, on Dominican Hill, east of Mt. Mirador, was begun by Fr. Roque Ruano in 1913 and inaugurated on May 23, 1915. It started out as a Dominican school (Colegio del Santissimo Rosario, June 1915 to 1917) and then was converted into a vacation house and sanitarium. It was damaged by five direct hits during World War II and was reconstructed from 1947 to 1948. In 1973, it was converted into a 33-bedroom hotel by the late, great faith healer, Tony Agpaoa. Closed in 1987 (upon the death of Agpaoa) and now disused, it still has good views of the city. The building is also said to be haunted.
- The Easter School of Weaving, along Easter Rd., Guisad, near the compound of the Bureau of Plant Industry, is an adjunct of the Easter School, founded in 1908 by the Philippine Episcopalian Church. It showcases the actual age-old process of native cloth weaving using Igorot backstrap looms as well as conventional Ilocano looms. To get there, take a jeepney along Kayang or at the corner of Otek and Chugum Sts. It is also easily accessible by taxi. From the downtown area of Baguio, take Abanao Street towards Camp Allen and turn right to Bokawkan Road at the vicinity of the PLDT building. At the lower end of Bokawkan Road, turn left to Easter Road and you will find the Easter Weaving Room compound to your right.
- The Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary, at 25 North Sto. Tomas Rd., Campo Sioco, provides earth education through alternative, non-formal and experimental methods. Its most important feature is the Cosmic Journey, an experience of the origins of the earth and its inhabitants by trekking through the path of natural history. The "Cosmic Journey" became the major undertaking within the Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary. It is describe as "a nature walk of play and discovery into the earth's deep interconnectedness." A total of fourteen different stations were created to portray "the magnificence of the unfolding of the cosmos." The first station is about the coming into being of the Universe. The fifth and eighth stations portray the arrival of the mammals and the coming forth of the primates, respectively. The last two stations portray the Earth's religious tradition and a Bio-shelter. Its facilities include a resource center, an art gallery, souvenir shop, seminar halls and guestrooms. To get to the sanctuary, take a BGH-Campo Sioco-bound jeepney parked beside the Harrison Road overpass stairway or take a taxi. By car, from the downtown area, proceed to the rotunda across the Baguio General Hospital then take the road to the right towards the direction of Marcos Highway. After passing Lina's Mart look out for the Amway and Agua Vida signages where you turn right and follow the road until you reach the Maryknoll gate.
- The Tourism Complex, at the corner of Gov. Pack Rd. and University Rd., consists of the DOT Office, The Secretary’s guesthouse, Sunshine Park and the Fil-Japan Friendship Garden.
- The Fil-Japan Friendship Garden, behind the Lion's Clubhouse, has a Tower of Peace, donated by the Japanese to commemorate the end of World War II. Another memorial marker is located across the entrance.
- Sunshine Park has a beautiful flower garden and features a covered stage with ethnic Cordillera design used for cultural presentations.
- Crystal Caves is located 5 kms. from the city center, along Crystal Cave Rd. and off the Palispis-Aspiras Highway. These interconnected caverns of firefly-like, crystalline rock are found on the northern foot of Mt. Sto. Tomas and are believed to be an old Igorot burial site. Visit only during the dry season. Take a jeepney at the corner of Otek and Chanum Sts. to Palispis-Aspiras Highway. Guides are available at the entrance.
- Malcolm Square, also called People's Park, is located at Lower Session Rd. and has a monument in honor of the city's charter framer. It is the site of political rallies and civic activities.
- Pine Trees of the World Park, conceived to become a research center for pine tree study in Asia, has a collection of several varieties of pine trees from all over the world. A ceremonial planting was done here on July 22, 1997.
- Rizal Park, fronting City Hall, has a monument of Dr. Jose Rizal.
- Club John Hay, located off Loakan Rd., it was formerly called Camp John Hay. This former 690-hectare (1,718-acre) U.S. military recreation camp was established on June 1, 1903 and named after Pres. Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of State. The war in the Philippines began and ended here. The first Japanese bombs fell here on December 8, 1941 and the camp was later garrisoned by Japanese troops and part of it was a concentration camp for American and British nationals. Reconstruction was begun on May 1945 by Col. Frank Smith. The camp was given back to the Philippines on July 1, 1991. Club John Hay is an attractive, quiet place, offering an abundance of rest and recreation activities. You can hike a 1.8-km. eco-trail. Scout Hill offers biking, horseback riding and kiddie rides. There is also a Butterfly Sanctuary, a post office (open 7am-5:30pm), a children's playground and views of the surrounding hills. The club adjoins the exclusive Baguio Golf and Country Club. A 3-hectare slice of the camp, called the Historical Core, was set aside to preserve the camp’s timelessness and allure. Deemed inviolate to the whims and winds of change, this living museum was envisioned as more than just a window on time. It consists of the Bell Amphitheater, the History Trail, Honeymoon Lodge, Our Secret Garden, the Cemetery of Negativism and Bell House. The Bell Amphitheater, designed by Gen. J. Franklin Bell, was once a venue for social and cultural gatherings known for its perfect acoustics. Anything said under the gazebo at the center is amplified, audible from any point within the amphitheater. Its rows of chairs have since been replaced and it is now a multi-level landscaped garden with rare flowers. The amphitheater is now available for concerts, weddings and other special occasions. The Cemetery of Negativism, built during the term of camp commander Maj. John Hightower (1979-1982), offers a glimpse into the homespun American philosophy of living. Here, one stroll among the tombstones where bad habits and the scourge of productivity are buried, its touch of whimsy doing little to negate the truth of its message. Among them are the inept Kant du Nutin Wright, the defeatist Ben Trid Bfor and the notorious General Neg A. Tivism (whose epitaph reads “Died of positive reaction to enthusiasm”). The History Trail, designed to wind its way amidst pine trees, offers landscaped resting areas. Our Secret Garden is planted to blooms that add a splash of color and scents. It also has a gazebo. The Honeymoon Cottage is rented out to newlyweds. The pre-war U.S. Ambassador's Residence, formerly the U.S. High Commissioner's residence, south of and an adjunct of Club John Hay, was built in the style of the Southern American plantation and has white columns flanking the exterior. During the Japanese Occupation, it was used by Gen. Yamashita and was also the site of his formal surrender on September 3, 1945. The ceremonies took place from 11:45am to 12:10pm.
- The Philippine Military Academy, along Loakan Rd., some 10 kms. from downtown Baguio, is the training school for future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It traces its history back to the Academia Militar which was established by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Antonio Luna on October 25, 1998 at Malolos in Bulacan. Most of its faculty members were former members of the Spanish Guardia Civil and its first superintendent was Capt. Manuel B, Sityar, a mestizo. It was forced to close down in February 1899 when the Philippine-American War broke out. During the U.S. occupation, an Officer's School of the Philippine Constabulary was established on Febrauary 17, 1905 at Sta. Lucia Barracks within the walls of Intramuros in Manila. On September 1, 1908, this school was relocated to Baguio on the site known as Constabulary Hill (later renamed Camp Henry T. Allen, in honor of the first chief of the Philippine Constabulary). On September 8, 1926, the school was renamed the Philippine Constabulary Academy, by virtue of Philippine Legislature Act No. 3496 and, later, the Philippine Military Academy in 1936. In June that same year, it transferred to Teachers Camp where it remained until World War II broke out. After the war, on May 5, 1947, the academy was reopened at Camp Henry T. Allen but due to its increasing need for wider grounds, it was soon moved to its present location at Fort Del Pilar in Loakan. The aircraft park in front of Melchor Hall (PMA Headquarters) displays a U.S.-made Bell UH-1H helicopter and F-8H Crusader fighter and an Italian-made Aermachhi SF-260M (S1A1) Marchetti military trainer. Nearby Relics Point displays U.S.-made armored vehicles such as an Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV), a Landing Vehicle Tank 4 (LVT), a V-150, a Sherman M-4A1 Medium Tank, a M-7 Self-Propelled Howitzer and a Simba Light Combat Vehicle; howitzers such as a Dutch-made 40 mm. Bofors, a Japanese-made 75 mm. mountain gun, a French-made 12.2 mm. Light Field Howitzer and four U.S.-made 105 mm. Howitzers (L3A1 Malara, M101 A1, M2 and M3); and a U.S.-made 120 mm. mortar. The PMA is one of the most visited and photographed places in Baguio City. The fort is usually open to visitors during the daylight hours seven days a week. During most Saturday mornings, the cadet corps undergoes their outdoor inspection in ranks. A parade and review at Borromeo Field follows the inspection. It is here where you will witness the marching precision of cadets dressed in their colorful dress uniform (dark gray jacket with heavy brass buttons, and a pair of white pants) and the shaku, the feathered parade cap.
- The Aguinaldo Museum, at the upper end of Gen. Luna Rd., houses the memorabilia of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo including the different uniforms and barong tagalogs he once wore, his photographs and those of his family, a work desk, and the wheelchair which he used when he was confined at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. Also on display is a three-dimensional miniature scene depicting his inauguration as president and a replica of the Philippine flag, originally designed by the general, with revolutionary words embroidered on it. A small park surrounds the larger-than-life size statue of Gen. Aguinaldo.
- Camp John Hay Museum, located at the Historical Core of Camp John Hay, is a living museum opened on October 25, 2003. Formerly the Bell House, it was named after U.S. Gen. J. Franklin Bell and was initially built as the vacation home of the Commanding General. Today, it is the repository of the artifacts and other indoor exhibits of the museum. Its interiors, consisting of three spacious bedrooms, a living room, dining room and kitchen, are tastefully decorated with period furniture showcasing the traditional American country style typical of old American homes. From the house’s porch you can look down into the Bell Amphitheater. Open daily, 8 am-5pm. Admission to museum is free upon payment of PhP30 at entrance of Historical Core. Tel: 444-8981 (John Hay Management Corporation Office).
- The small Baguio-Benguet-Mountain Province Museum, next to the Baguio Convention Center, gives a vivid picture of the life of the cultural minorities in the Central Cordillera. A Kabayan mummy and ethnographic artifacts like woodcarvings, baskets, jewelry, pottery and weaving work are on display here. Open Tuesdays-Sundays, 9am-12 noon and 1:30-5pm. A small admission fee is charged.
- The St. Louis University Museum of Arts and Culture, a university community museum, is located at the second floor of the Monsignor Charles Vath Library Bldg. in St. Louis University along Bonifacio Street. It is committed to the preservation and development of the cultural heritage of the people in the Cordilleras. Majority of the artifacts found in the museum came from the different ethnolinguistic groups or cultural communities from the Cordillera region: the Ibalois and Kankanaeys from Benguet, the Applays and Bontocs from Mountain Province, the Ifugaos from Ifugao, the Kalingas from Kalinga, the Isnegs from Apayao and the Tingiuans (Itnegs) from Abra. Started in 1969, it contains a 2,000-piece ethnological and historical collection of books and documents, dress and adornments, kitchenware and implements, farming tools, magico-religious paraphernalia, musical instruments, fishing tools, weaving implements, weapons and fighting gear, a sugarcane presser (dadapilan), gold processing implements, Chinese porcelain and natural history specimens from the Cordillera Region. Admission is free. Group and class visits need prior arrangement. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 7:30 am-12 noon and 1:30-5pm. Curator: Mr. Isikias T. Picpican. Tel: 442-3043, 442-2193, 443-2001, 444-8246 to 48 & 442-2793 local 260.
- Tam-awan Village (tam-awan means “vantage point”), along Tacay Rd. at Pinsao Proper, is a model village with nine authentic knock down Ifugao huts (seven transported from Bangaan, Ifugao and two from Kalinga), some over a hundred years old. The oldest is the Anaba hut. Others include the octagonal Luccong hut (or binayon) for aristocrats; and the Dukligan (Ifugao fertility hut). A project of the Chanum Foundation (a group of artists dedicated to nurturing and preserving Cordilleran culture), this living museum was initiated by National Artist Ben Cab. He and other artists all share a passion for indigenous art, injecting local elements and techniques in their works The village blends indigenous aesthetics and exquisite Ifugao craftsmanship and is a venue for conferences, workshops and seminars. It also has Ifugao hut accommodations (for overnight stays), coffee shop and fishpond. The village has a main hut which serves as a store and an information office for visitors. There are a few native handicraft items that are sold aside from some books and publications about the Igorot people, their culture and traditions. You can also order a hot cup of native coffee. Tam-awan also offers livelihood and crafts demonstrations on woodcarving, bamboo crafts, papermaking, weaving, printmaking, rice wine making and the ancient Ifugao technique of solar drawing (burning a wood’s surface using the sun’s rays to create an image) demonstrated by Jordan Mang-osan. Artworks are displayed in a gazebo and art gallery and several painting are offered for sale at the shop. Across the gazebo is the stone-paved dap-ay where rituals and dances are performed. Near the gallery is a mural featuring symbols (rice fields, rain, mountains, man and other animated objects integral to Cordillera life) of the ancient but fast disappearing art form of Ifugao tattooing which, when imprinted on skin, narrates tales of men’s bravery and wisdom, denotes social stature or enhances beauty in women. Admission: PhP10 for children and PhP20 for adults. Tel: 446-2949 & 442-4010 (Cafe by the Ruins). To get to the village, proceed to Bokawkan Rd. (behind Camp Allen), turn left at Ferguson Road (which leads to the Easter Weaving Room), and then right to Tacay Road which is an uphill climb. Upon reaching the top of the hill, take a right turn and this road will bring you to Tam-Awan Village. Further on, the road will take you to La Trinidad.
- The Philippine Military Academy Museum, within Fort Del Pilar, is a military museum that showcases the history of the Philippine Military Academy. On display are a typical cadet room, diorama of the Battle of Bulacan, uniforms (1908 to present), old books, weapons (including a short, wide and leaf-shaped barong knife owned by Abu Sayaff commander Mujib Susukan), a copy of the September 2, 1945 Japanese Instrument of Surrender in Tokyo Bay and the signboard of the Abdulrahman Bedis Memorial Military Academy (the largest camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front) captured in July 2000. The War and Weapons Gallery displays trophies of war, personal effects and other interesting artifacts belonging to PMA alumni. The Alumni Gallery, on the other hand, displays class pictures of PMA alumni. The museum also has a souvenir shop. Admission: PhP10 for adults and PhP5 for children/students. Open daily, 8 am-5pm.
|
