DAY 2: November 30, 2021
Waking up on a holiday (Bonifacio Day), coupled with an itinerary indicating the busiest day on our four-day sojourn, indeed calls for a delectable plated breakfast at the hotel as early as 6:30 AM to provide us the jumpstart for a grueling day.
After a brief orientation inside the hotel from our tour guide Maria Teresa Umipig, for this given date, instead of the usual shuttle, that would take us to various spots, we rode Agetyeng’s Exclusive Creative Jeepney, the only tourist jeepney in the Philippines, adding more splendor to the tour proper.
Alighting in one of the most scenic parts of Baguio, Wright Park, named after Governor Luke Edward Wright, a former Governor-General of the Philippines, has always been associated with its most popular amenity, the horseback riding area, located at the lower level of the park. Unfortunately, given the limited timeframe in our itinerary, we were not able to experience it anew, since we arrived on the upper level. Instead, we strolled along the nature-driven vicinity of pine trees and flower gardens; with some of the participants electing to be photographed, dressed in rented native and ceremonial Igorot attires.
A few walks from Wright Park, we arrived at the so-called The Mansion, which is the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines during official visits and engagements. It was constructed in 1908 as a summer home for U.S. Governor-generals and was rebuilt in 1947 due to damages brought about by the battle for the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese during World War II.
Mines View Park, undoubtedly one of the most visited tourist destinations in Baguio City, proudly boasts itself of an Observation Deck, allowing visitors to feast their eyes on a magnificent panoramic view, overlooking the mining town of Itogon, which used to be gold and copper mines of Benguet Corporation. Actually, Mount Pulag, Luzon’s highest peak, can be viewed from a distance. Souvenir shops, plant vendors, and photo opportunities with horses and dogs, flank this compound.
For genuine silver-made products, do drop by Pilak Silvercraft, which is among the favorite souvenir items of visitors as well as residents due to their luster’s longevity as compared to much cheaper counterparts being peddled in some areas. In fact, tourists can be able to view up-close how their items are being manufactured by the Silversmith. This establishment is the home of handcrafted Baguio silver jewelry and accessories. A UNESCO designated creative craft.
With stomachs grumbling, we then proceeded towards the Elements Buffet located inside the Newton Plaza Hotel to experience their famous “Merienda Eat-All-You-Can” priced at Php195 net, which surprisingly starts at 12 NN (Yes, they do not have a lunch buffet unless it falls on a Sunday).
A unique souvenir and pasalubong center for visitors is the Crafts and Productivity Center-One Town, One Product (CCPC-OTOP) hub, which serves as an incubation and market testing facility for food, weaving, and other products of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Cordillera to further promote their produce in the region as per the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Right across the Victory Liner bus terminal along Utility Road lies one of the colorful murals in the city, the PNR Mural, which was masterfully created by Venazir Hannah Martinez, a multi-disciplinary street artist. Her street art was designed as a technique for promoting cultural emblems and identification markers, highlighting the relevance of cultural diversity as a physical link to the public through a sequence of interconnected works.
Next stop was the Alimuom Baguio Contemporary Art Exhibition, a project of the Creative City Council of Baguio City, at the Baguio Convention Center. The exhibit was inspired by the concept of alimuom, the lovely smell that pervades the ground after a soft summer rain. Its arrival is veiled in mystery, as if it were an unexpected homecoming or a transformation.
Regarding the Baguio Convention Center as a structure, it was really built to host the 1978 World Chess Championship between Russians Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi. Nowadays, it has been utilized as a venue for various events in Northern Luzon, and has a small museum housing items of Cordilleran culture.
For the most affordable hand-woven textiles sourced straight from the makers themselves, the Cordillera Weaves Exhibit & Weavers Bazaar at the Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR) compound was the place to be. As a contribution to the 2021 Ibagiw Festival, the bazaar was developed to provide possibilities for Cordillerans by showcasing the ingenuity and skill of Cordillera weavers, as well as to help them recover from the ill effects of the pandemic.
Located at the Baguio General Hospital Circle was the Wall of Heroes, a mural painting undertaken by the city government in collaboration with various local Baguio artists, which was aimed to give utmost recognition to all frontliners, who all have immensely experienced loads of effort and sacrifices in order to help alleviate our fellowmen in coping with the pandemic.
Since this trip coincided with the Yuletide season, what more can a visitor ask for than to be able to visit and experience the Baguio Country Club (BCC) Christmas Vilage, which has always been a blockbuster for locals as well as non-locals due to the presence of such features as an artificial snow, a Nativity play, and a live show of Christmas Carols. Incidentally, this annual activity is just one of several green projects by the BCC where decorations in the area were all made out of recyclable materials.
Concluding the day’s 10-destination visit was a hearty dinner buffet at the Podium Boutique Hotel.
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