Stop! Do not assume that you know everything about Baguio because you don’t. 


 
Even those who were born and raised here in the City of Pines may not know some parts of the list:

 
1.    The Botanical Garden where native herbs and shrubs grow is also known as “Igorot Village”.

2.    A 1990 Luzon earthquake at 7.8- magnitude destroyed much of the city on July 16, 1990. Ask your parents about this disastrous phenomenon and you’ll get stories that demand you to grab napkins!

3.    Some knows the Wright Park, the home of Pony Boys and horses, as “Ride Park”. Seriously! Do a simple survey to prove this.

4.    The lowest recorded temperature in the city was at 6.3 degrees Celsius. It was taken on January 18, 1961.

5.    There are 252 steps to reach the Lourdes Grotto. For sure, you will also take 252 steps to reach the bottom where you come from.

6.    Loakan Airport is the only airport in the city. This may not be true in the future when Burnham Airport is constructed.

7.    The Bell Church between Baguio City and La Trinidad observes rites that belong to Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity.

8.    Mt. Santo Tomas and Asin hot spring resorts may be well associated with Baguio City but they are not part of the city. Mt. Santo Tomas, which is about 7,500 feet high, and Asin both belong to Tuba, Benguet.

9.    Banaue, La Trinidad and Sagada are also not part of Baguio City. These are different towns located in other provinces across the Cordillera region.

10.Kennon Road was named after its builder Col. Lyman W. Kennon.

11.Baguio City was bombed on December 8, 1941 by the Japanese. Nowadays, it is being conquered by Koreans (just kidding).

12.Baguio City is 57.5 sq km. It will soon be developed by Goshen Land (just kidding again!).

13.Among the most popular products being sold in the Baguio market are silver, hand-woven fabrics, fruit preserves, flowers, and vegetables.

14.Burnham Park is a man-made lake. But the water is real. It’s made by God.

15.Panagbenga is a Kankanaey word that means “season of blooming”.

16.Baguio Beans being sold is not more likely from Baguio. These are harvests of nearby Benguet and Mountain Province famers.

17.Eating dog meat is an acceptable activity among natives of Baguio City. Despite the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, locals still practice dog meat eating.

18.The Cemetery of Negativism within Camp John Hay shows a parody of negative things people say when they are depressed or sad.

19.When talking about “pasalubong”, the first brand that comes to mind is Good Shepherd. Prove us wrong.

20. One of the most notable products of Baguio is the Barrel Man. Find it out yourself what is inside the man’s barrel.

 

Tell us, which of the facts are new to you. Share this article with your friends and let us see how much they know about Baguio City.

by: Christian Aligo

by: Christian Aligo

Baguio City’s pride Philippine Military Academy (PMA) does not always give the city a good reason to be mentioned in national newspapers and news shows. Sometimes, it’s a gloomy day for the school that trains the country’s next top patriots.

 
Last week, the academy held its graduation rites despite national controversies involving one of its supposed-to-be-graduating student and alumni.

Two Top Students Are Cordillerans

 
Among the top students of the PMA Siklab Diwa Class 2014 are proud Cordillerans.

Billy Casibi Codiam, top three, comes from Tanudan, Kalinga while Alvin Kantala Balangcod comes from Kapangan, Benguet.

Both had similar stories before joining PMA.

In his essays, Balangcod expressed that he was once a working student. He started to take a degree in Criminology as a scholar of former Benguet congressman Samuel Dangwa before taking the entrance exam for PMA.

On the other hand, Codiam finished a degree in Political Science as a scholar of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) before deciding to push through with military studies.

The two will join the Philippine Army.

It’s Final: Cadet Cudia is Not Graduating

 
It all started when the sister of PMA cadet Aldrin Jeff Cudia posted a picture of the cadet on Facebook with caption pointing out PMA’s alleged unfair judgment on the cadet’s case.

The post says that the cadet was not permitted to graduate after a two-minute late. The post became viral, capturing national headline bringing the attention of the Filipino masses to Baguio’s own PMA.

Even if everyone was talking about it and everyone seems to put sympathy on the side of Cudia, PMA still decided not to reverse its earlier decision against Cudia.

According to PMA, Cudia violated the Honor Code by lying on the real reason why he was late in November.

Cudia lost and left the PMA compound afterwards.

Remember the Pabaon Officials and Other PMA  Alumni?

 

Before Cudia was the star of headlines, many alumni of the academy already won national publicity for negative issues that directly tainted the reputation of PMA.

After the Cudia controversy set aflame, a PMA alumnus furnished a letter to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office.

Retired Brig. Gen. Jesus Dizon, who belongs to PMA Class 1951, wrote:

“May I appeal to the entire Filipino people to remember that the Philippine Military Academy is your institution. It is the primary source of professional military leaders who are sworn to lead and sacrifice their lives, if need be, to protect our country and people against all threats, including to respond to natural calamities and disasters.”

Dizon scored to not tamper with PMA’s honor system which is in line with the principle of human rights.

However, netizens still question the credibility of the Honor System when in fact PMA alumni have been charged with serious offenses that may be considered violations to the set of principles soldiers should abide with.

Recently, one of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) member was allegedly caught cloning automated teller machine (ATM) cards. The accused Raphale Marcial, a Navy Officer and graduate of PMA Class 2008, was arrested by cops in Makati.

According to Malacanang, there will be no special treatment for Marcial.

Moreover in 2011, AFP officials and other high-ranking military officers were involved in the “pasalubong” and “pabaon” allegations. This led controversial official Angelo Reyes, one of the accused, to commit suicide.

People try their luck within the territory of PMA. Some finish with flying colors; others come home with sad stories. If there is one thing that makes headlines created by PMA students and alumni teach us, that would be the realization that patriots- whether under the Honor System or not- are also human beings who commit mistakes.

5 Undeniable Reasons Why Living in Baguio City Can Promote a Healthier Lifestyle and Longer Life

By Michael Sta. Ana 

Being renowned as the City of Pines, Baguio City never failed to amaze the local and foreign tourists over the years. That’s why up to now, this summer capital city is still on the top 12 best local destinations in the Philippines, according to To Go Trip magazine on their December 2013 to January 2014 issue.

Because of its alluring beauty, the number of people who decided to move here is remarkably increasing each year and to suit this need, more and more homes, single detached and single attached houses, condominiums and commercial properties are being developed continuously. Though it's never a place for beach bummers, this place offers a peaceful, country-side living which one might want to consider adding to his or her bucket list.

Furthermore, Baguio City is also the best place that has the potential to maintain one's healthy lifestyle. As a matter of fact, there are some good reasons why you should consider retiring and building your home and family here. Though life can be a little simpler than in Metro Manila, this more than a century old city is far less stressful. Thus, this place promotes a longer life span.

In this article, let's then try to connect the dots so we can link the word 'healthy' to 'Baguio City'. Let's uncover what really this place can offer, how its physical characteristics can affect you and why you should then consider moving to this breathtaking paradise.



1. Its desirable, mild, cold climate can reduce some body fat

Though the air temperature often drops during the late and early months of the year, its average temperature of 15 to 23 °C has been proven beneficial to one’s health.

Aside from reducing the risk of heat strokes during summer, Harvard Health Publications commented on their January 2010 issue about the relationship between cold weather and the body's ability to burn more calories. Here's what they say:

"Dutch researchers reported findings that showed that moderately cool temperatures of 61° F (16°C) activated brown fat in 23 of 24 study volunteers. This is a good thing because brown fat burns calories more efficiently than white fat, and so may help control weight."

To those people who are conscious about their body weight, isn't this a good news for you?

2. Baguio's greenest plantation can make you live longer

Baguio City is also known for its prosperous and rich plantations of fruits, flowers and vegetables.

If you want to eat a healthier diet everyday and want to live longer, then this place is the best for you. At the city's public market, you will always notice vendors who sell quality and freshly harvested vegetables at a very reasonable price. Some common vegetables here are Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, French beans, Sugar beets, radish, asparagus, celery, broccoli and a lot more.

Here, you can also find stalls selling strawberries—one of the world's healthiest fruit that's so rich in anti-oxidant and other cancer-fighting organic chemicals.

3. This city can be your coolest, non-mechanical treadmill

Baguio is the most elevated city in the Philippines, so no wonder, you'll always find yourself walking along its hilly streets and on its up and down terrains.

Did you know that by simply walking alone the inclined slope of Session Road could already help you improve your cardiovascular fitness? Additionally, walking on an inclined terrain (like most of the roads here) can also improve your aerobic capacity and can build your leg strength.

Isn't this is another good news to those who always want to be fit and sexy?

4. The city's fresh, cool air means healthier lungs for everyone!

Aside from giving enough shade, the tall pine trees that seem to be Baguio city's long-lived treasures also provide cleaner air and give out more oxygen.

Since the urbanizing and growth of the city today looks unstoppable, these big trees play a significant role of purifying the air from motor vehicle exhaust—the number one contributor of air-pollution.

5. Baguio City is the Philippines' lost "Garden of Eden"

There are no tall and luxury megastructures here, but one of the highlights of the city is its refreshing mountain sides and alluring broad horizon that offer everyone a relaxing and calming feeling.

Stress is one of the major causes of illnesses, but here in Baguio City, it’s significantly reduced due to the region's incomparable, beautiful sceneries.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the physical environment can greatly impact one's state of health. In the case of Baguio City, I guess this place can provide all the positive and 'refreshing' benefits like no any other cities can.

In the next few years, Baguio City will be everyone's new home. Though people today may see this place only as another joyful destination, any time soon, more and more people will get to realize how this place can change their way of life to a healthier and a better one. 


If you feel that it’s now time for you to locate your new home, why not consider Baguio City too? This city now offers great real estates properties--from affordable condominium units to single-detached house and lots. If you think that you want to start your business here, there are some commercial spaces available in the city too, that can give you a very promising return of investment. Spend the rest of your life with your family here and for sure, it's going to be prosperously long.