Baguio City is known as the
summer capital of the Philippines, that when I am tired of the hotness of our
place, Baguio is the best place to be.
My usual visit in Baguio is all
about, a visit to the Baguio Cathedral, shopping at SM Baguio, a snack at
Starbucks and J. Co, dining at different restaurants and end the day with
finding outfits at the Thrift Shops. Thus when the National Commission for the Culture and the
Arts and the Philippine Information Agency invited
me to be part of the Eco-cultural
Heritage Caravan Seminar with Onsite Immersion NCCA-PIA Culture & Arts
Promotion in Luzon April 25-30, 2017., it was a new adventure but so
enriching to experience a look back to our heritage.
The tour started with a visit to Tam-awan Village, a place that gives one a feel of life
showcasing the traditional Ifugao Huts and Baguio's art and culture scene.
Established by National Artist Ben Cabrera in 1998 with Chanum Foundation to
promote the local artists. Tam-awan is a local word which means "vantage
point". There is a Cafe where you can get a taste of Cordillera flavors. I
so like the place especially the food that they offered, a taste of Pinikpikan
meal is already a chance for someone to experience to have the same food as our
ancestors had before. The Ifugao Huts
are all quite interesting and I do wish that someday I will be able to
experience checking-in and stay at one of the huts to experience how our
ancestors had in their own nipa huts before. To those people who are so
interested taking selfies can also enjoy the place with the flora and fauna of
Tam-awan. One of the attraction too is the Solar Art where paintings were done
thru the artistry of an artist and the rays of the sun. The best experience to
look back at our heritage is to appreciate and join in the fun with the ethnic
dance performed since it will make you experience how meaningful their moves
and steps are.
A new place, Museo Kordilera-UP Baguio Ethnographic Museum. It recently opened and it features the arts and culture materials of the Cordillera. It is aimed to serve as repository of tangible and intangible heritage of the region. You will really get to know more how rich the culture of Cordillera was.
The Mini Forest Park, it is beside Baguio
Convention Center reminds the public on how it is saved from a building
construction project, the advocacy to reforest it and what tree species are
within the area. The Baguio Convention Center is a convention facility and it
was the venue of the 1978 World Chess Championship series between 2 Russian
grandmaster Anatoly Karpov and Victor Korchnoi. The preservation of the Mini
Forest Park shows that we have to keep a portion of any city to be untouched
and maintain as a place for our nature to breathe so that we can still have a
safe and greater life ahead.
Casa Vallejo The declared heritage site is along Upper
Session Road and among the oldest buildings in the city. It was referred to as
Dormitory 4 constructed by the Americans to house construction workers who
helped Baguio City. The Casa Vallejo had withstand a lot of destruction thus it
will be a great thing to appreciate it
and let the place be preserved.
Session Road Rotonda, With the eight rock formation art design installed by Igorot
stone sculpture Gilbert Gano, it represent the eight members of the Philippine
Commission who used to hold their summer sessions in Baguio in the early 1900s.
The commission was composed of Governor General Luke E. Wright, President and
Commissioners Henry C. Ide, Dean C. Worcester, T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Benito
Legarda, Jose R. Luzuriaga, James F. Smith and W. Cameron Forbes. It is one of the most visible site but I only
find out about the significance of the stones during this tour, thus it was so
informative and hoping more people will appreciate the art work and its
historical value.
Baden Powell Hotel The site of the building
where the Philippine Commission held its
first session in Baguio from April 22 to June 11, 1904, inclusively, officially
initiating use of Baguio as the country’s summer capital. There were 74 acts
and 373 resolutions approved. It is now
a hotel used by tourist and I do hope that when people checked in, they
will embrace how historical the place is.
Baguio Museum It is located within the Tourism Complex, displays a variety of
artifacts and relics that speak of the cultural heritage, customs and
traditions of the Mountain Province with each display focusing on an indigenous
group. The Mountain Province is a so rich in culture and heritage thus it is a
great way to appreciate the displays since it is the best thing to be
acquainted on how the place progressed thru the years but still gives
recognition of how rich their culture is.
After the Heritage Walk, I can say that I was
able to get acquainted more with the culture and heritage of the Mountain
Province, that Benguet and Cordillera are more appreciated especially I was able to know more about
Baguio City, not just a summer capital but also a place to appreciate culture
and the arts.
more photos at:
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