According to Google’s Zeitgeist 2008, Baguio was the fourth most searched for travel destination by Filipinos in the Philippines.
BAGUIO
Located on the island of Luzon, the city of Baguio is known as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its cool weather. At an altitude of 5100 feet, it is also known as the City of Pines. The name Baguio derives from the word “moss” in the Ibaloi language of the Benguet region.
Baguio is a university town where the University of the Philippines has a campus and where the Philippine Military Academy, Saint Louis Unviersity, and other colleges and universities are located.
Tourists visit Baguio to escape from the heat in the other parts of the country, especially in the summer. Camp John Hay is a former recreation area for American servicemen in the Philippines; it is also where Voice of America had its broadcasting facilities. Burnham Park and Baguio Cathedral are other tourist attractions in the city.
HISTORY
American architect and city planner Daniel Burnham, designer of Chicago and downtown Washington DC, was commissioned to masterplan Baguio as the US colonial hill station for a 25,000 population. Today, Baguio’s population is close to 400,000 – eight times larger than the original plan. Traffic is almost as bad as Manila’s. Casa Vallejo built in 1909 sits on Upper Session Road, the least congested part of Session Road.
Burnham Park is one of the iconic landmarks in Baguio City.
