Baguio is a cool place for bonding and reminiscing
Baguio City, the “Summer Capital of the Philippines,” may well be the holiday capital of the country, too. Hordes of travelers ended up being stuck on the road for 10 to 12 hours on Dec. 26, 2014 just to travel 250 kilometers from Manila with like-minded travelers who wanted to try the newly opened TIPLEX that supposedly would cut travel time. Despite the terrible inconvenience and aching muscles from sitting too long in our vehicles, it was all worth it once we reached the Baguio Country Club’s comfortable rooms. Here, the weather is always cooler by a minimum of 10 degrees compared to the lowlands.
Strong American influences still abound and am grateful that it was developed by Governor Generals William Taft, William Forbes and Francis Harrison in the early 1900s. Luckily for the locals, the city was beautifully planned by Daniel Burnham who was one of the earliest modern city planners of Chicago and downtown Washington, DC. However, the current population boom has burdened the city’s resources and only strong political resolve will be able to straighten out majority of the ills.
It is also in this city that the joint Philippine and American troops fought the Japanese military led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita. He formally surrendered in 1945 in what is now the US Ambassador’s residence in Camp John Hay. When I visited this historical house a couple of years ago, we were surrounded by Amorsolo paintings that documented the historical moment that marked the end of World War ll.
Everywhere one went, reunions and get-togethers were the norm. It was family bonding time with grandparents leading the pack to revisit their favorite summer haunts, bringing with them the second and third generation to enjoy Baguio’s charm and mountainous vistas despite the crowd. Meeting long-lost friends was a treat as we reminisced the Baguio of our youth while we greeted the new year with a bang.
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