Baguio City: Love It or Hate It

BAGUIO CITY: LOVE IT OR HATE IT

by Antonio C. Antonio

April 19, 2014

Why should anyone make a choice to love or hate Baguio City?  There is something seemingly twisted about this question, isn’t it?  Has Baguio been good or bad to you in the past to justify making some kind of judgement on the city? Well… nothing is really wrong!  It’s a human peculiar tendency that people simply exercise their own set of values and ethical standards on any conceivable spatial and temporal fact and event in our world.  And in the process of assessing and understanding their “likes” and “dislikes”, they eventually make distinctions and decisions to either love or hate.

Baguio City is the “Summer Capital” of the Philippines and, perhaps, the most scenic urban landscape in the country.  This is the reason why hundreds of thousands of tourists (both foreign and local) visit this upland paradise every year.  People love going Baguio City and at the same time hate the experience especially during the traditional Holy Week celebration.  This year, with the opening of the TPLEX (or Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway), a lot of people made plans to go to Baguio City because of the shortened travel time and distance.  Please note that this new route by-passes Tarlac City and the usual traffic in that city which gave drivers some degree of discomfort and annoyance in the past.  Some simply wanted to check on this new road while others wanted to relax and do some spiritual reflection in the cool weather.  But, again the question, why should one love or hate Baguio City?

This could be a “good news” and “bad news” situation… it is often ideal to talk about the bad before the good news.

THE BAD NEWS:

Bearing Capacity – Baguio City covers a very small area of 57.5 square kilometers.  It’s a highly urbanized mountain community with very little infrastructure development in the last four decades.  It is also the center of business and commerce in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) to include the entire area of Northern Luzon.  It’s hard to imagine how so many vehicles could fit in such a small area especially during Holy Week.  Visitors, stuck in usual heavy traffic, at this time of the year are treated to the best and boring views of the back sides of the cars in front of them.

Overpopulation – The population of Baguio City has ballooned from 183,142 in 1990 to 318,676 in 2010.  That’s a 57.46% increase in the last 20 years.  A higher rate of increase in population is projected in the next decade.  Looking at the photo (insert) of Baguio City will reveal that her mountain slopes barely had houses 20 years ago.  The regularity of tourist visitation brings the average population of the city to approximately half a million for most parts of the year and over a million during Holy Week.  This makes booking for better accommodations in the city quite a challenge.  Anyway, with the cold weather, it’s probably not a bad idea to sleep a room packed like sardines.

Economics of Demand – The sudden surge of visitors to Baguio during Holy Week naturally brings up the demand for prime commodities, services and products endemic to the city.  There also is a natural tendency for rentals and accommodation rates to go up with an increase in demand.  It’s definitely more expensive to be in Baguio City at this time of the year.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Weather – Baguio City has an altitude of 5,050 feet above sea level which is the primary reason for its relatively cool weather.  This is the primary reason why people prefer to go there.  The normal temperature is 8 degrees Celsius which is a lot lower than the average temperature in the lowland areas.  Average temperature ranges from 15 to 23 degrees Celsius with the lowest temperatures between the months of November to February.  The rainy season is a period people are not likely to visit Baguio City.  Like most subtropical highland climate, Baguio City also normally receives less precipitation during the dry season.  This weather condition, however, reverses during the rainy season (months of July and August) when precipitation goes up to 28 inches of rain.  Baguio City’s annual average is over 122 inches of precipitation.  For most of the year, however, the weather in Baguio City is fair, cool and comfortable.

Scenic Tourist Destinations – There are several scenic tourist destinations in Baguio City.  (I will refrain from mentioning them or this article may not be enough.)  Its tropical pine forest ecology is conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids.  The mountains encasing the city also provide picturesque views and solace for lovers of nature and the upland environment.

Culture – Baguio City is a good place to soak oneself in Philippine indigenous culture.  The presence of Ibaloi (meaning “moss”) and Kankanaeys tribesmen in city is very evident.  Largely uninfluenced by the city’s modernization, these indigenous peoples have managed to keep their culture and tradition intact.  Their presence in the city’s tourist spots gives visitors an opportunity to have their pictures taken with these native uplanders.

ADDITIONAL TRIVIAL NEWS:

Have you ever wondered why the obese love Baguio City?  Aside from the extra layer of fat that gives them an environment adaptive advantage in cooler weather, they also weigh much less in the upland.  Scientific studies show that the further you are from the core of the earth, the lesser gravitational pull you will experience. 5,050 feet above sea level will definitely give less weight to anyone.  They probably will weigh less… but, physically, will definitely look the same.

There really are several ways of looking at things… Baguio City in particular.  With the bad, good and trivial news on Baguio City in the background, what do you think?  Do you love it or hate it?

Just my little thoughts…

Author’s Note:  The other day, I was exchanging SMS with a good friend, Sister Maria Vida Cordero.  Sister Maria Vida is my kakampi (comrade) in environmental advocacy.  She texted me about the “sea of bus riders”, the heavy traffic, her travel ordeal returning to Manila, the flagellants near La Loma Cemetery and some important reflections for the Holy Week.  Sister Maria Vida’s experiences actually inspired me to write this article.  To her I say: “May the Good Lord bless and keep you safe and strong. Thank you so much for your insights!”