Baguio blooms still

MANILA, Philippines - When we talk about adventures on the road or plans for future trips, Baguio, inevitably, is on the list. Then, inevitably too, is the question: Where have all the pine trees gone?

More laments and observations are rattled off – this mountain retreat is now bursting at its seams and is beset by the blights associated with unplanned urbanization, like overcrowding, constant vehicular traffic, poor air quality, inadequate basic services, some streets strewn with garbage...

But there is still something – a lot, actually – about Baguio that continues to lure people – me included – back to the familiar and comfortable haunts. In all these years, Baguio certainly has changed but its attraction has not entirely dimmed. Even as there are tangible reminders that a lot has to be done, there are more than enough reasons to make the five-hour-plus drive up to the City of Pines. Here are some reasons why:

The breathtaking view on the way up from the flatlands towards the zigzag on Kennon Road that winds through the Bued River Canyon gives without fail an exhilarating sight of verdant foliage, waterfalls and wild sunflowers.

Should you arrive as darkness shrouds the place, the twinkling lights from the homes perched on the mountainside give it a magical glow.

“Sweater weather,” nippy air, pullovers and warm woolen scarves, gloves and beret complete the snazzy picture. The thick fog that envelopes the area makes inhaling and exhaling a fun solo game as I watch the patterns that my breath makes.

The heady scent of pine trees wafting around – believe it or not, there are still huge patches and long stretches of pine stands in Baguio – reminds me of the Christmas season and it is always a good time to pause and pick up pine cones scattered on the forest floor.

Oh, the endearing flowers of Baguio. These spectacular blooms grow year round everywhere. Baguio’s flora are bigger, have more vibrant hues and are much sought after by leading florists in Manila.

And right after the holidays, the entire population of Baguio, with absolutely no exception, proudly gears up for six weeks of the Panagbenga Festival. This annual celebration showcases the city’s can-do spirit and the very best it has to offer in a million different ways. It culminates in a grand floral parade with wave upon wave of schoolchildren performing choreographed numbers to the thumping of hundreds of drums, cymbals and lyres. They are joined by cadets, movie stars and celebrities. Then the floats – clearly most awaited by spectators – made of flowers, plants, seeds, barks, twigs, branches inch their way down Session Road all the way to the grandstand where they are displayed.

The admirable people of Baguio with their radiant smiles, always willing to help. Yes, through all my “return of the comeback,” I have never met anyone from and in Baguio who I didn’t like.

I find my quiet corners – the walking trails in Camp John Hay, Teachers Camp, the Baguio Botanical Gardens to name but a few. Once more, these nooks allow me to contemplate many of life’s mysteries.

Consciously follow your heart and search for those peaceful monasteries and convents in secluded areas far removed from it all where one may meditate and perhaps find oneself. 

The Baguio Country Club with its Old World patina. Seemingly frozen in time, its sprawling greens has remained a home away from home. Its iconic verandah is an idyllic place for bonding with family and friends, for even those who have homes in Baguio congregate there. We can never leave the BCC without dropping by its shops, for the iconic raisin bread and the banana loaf that are much awaited pasalubongs. 

Camp John Hay is where we had a first glimpse of the American lifestyle on our visits during the 60s when it was still a US Air Force rest and recreation facility. It now features a world-class competition golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus as well as hotels, shopping and convention centers. Much has changed since the conversion of the camp but its pine tree-lined roads, quaint cottages and wide open spaces have remained. I still consider it the best place to walk and drive around as it still gives me more than a distinct sensation of how Baguio used to be.

Camp John Hay Manor Hotel. Popularly referred to as The Manor, it is a stately resort where I continue to experience the serenity of being cocooned in a vast preserve that also replicates the feel of the familiar. The welcoming lobby with its fireplace and intimate piano bar are enough reasons to forget the city and all its stressors. The wide balconies give a breathtaking view of the environs, service is beyond reproach and the food is always excellent. The bakeshop with its wide range of breads, cookies, cakes, dips and other products is another must visit before heading back home.

Le Chef at The Manor bears the unmistakable stamp of Billy King who has successfully developed a menu that includes a whole range from continental fare to classic favorites, Filipino dishes and even nouvelle cuisine. Try to meet him next time you stay at The Manor for it can really be one of the highlights of your trip.

The Twist at the Forest Lodge. Another brainchild of Billy King, featuring Asian cooking but with his trademark surprise – hence its name. He once said: “It is a combination of creative dishes and classic comfort food. Good quality with not too many frills.” Some of his delightful concoctions are: tempura sushi with green mango and bagoong, adobo, and sisig fillings, as well as old favorites like mongolian and chap chae. Here, it‘s casual dining, more la mesa style, where friends order dishes to share.

Chocolate de Batirol. This quaint little café tucked in a lush garden within Camp John Hay is the place to go for great snacks such as the  traditional hot tsokolate with cold variations; the Baguio Blend made with strawberries, cinnamon, almond, Cointreau or orange-flavored liqueur. Great snack accompaniments to these are suman sa latik, bibingka and turon de langka.

When you visit Hill Station at the historic Casa Vallejo on Upper Session Road, make it a point to have a chat with its charming and vivacious chef patron Mitos Benitez Yñiguez. Its homey vibe belies the painstaking effort she has put into what Hill Station is all about. The menu blends the flavors of Asia’s hill stations with the tastes of Old World Europe and New World America. Some of these are never-tried-before tapas, a salad of organic greens with artisanal feta cheese, blueberries and walnuts; a spinach and mushroom ravioli on a bed of pumpkin puree and Malagos blue cheese, and crispy duck flakes with laing sa gata with mountain rice. My favorite desserts include the unforgettable Death by Chocolate and homemade ice cream in the following flavors: Benguet coffee with chocolate chips, vanilla cinnamon, and avocado with jalapeno.

Mario’s Restaurant, the original on Upper Session Road where it all began. This old favorite is the inevitable choice for dinner upon arrival in the City of Pines. The pride of the house includes Caesar Salad prepared fresh, tableside as always, the steaks served like nowhere else, the salmon grilled to perfection, and the cheesecake are among what makes me smile and keep coming back.

Café by the Ruins. Home of the Baguio Writers Group and a favorite watering hole of artists, poets, writers and local media folk, it was built on remnants of the walls and foundation of the residence of American Governor H. Phelps Whitmarsh. A good vantage point from which to watch the sunset, it serves aromatic, full bodied signature Ruins coffee as well as unique tea infusions. Among the bestsellers are their pavlova, kamote bread and kesong puti with basil.

Te Quiero Tapas Bar and Restaurant features a wide range of Spanish dishes and its bestselling hot tapas salpicao de carne de vacuno, caldereta de cabra, and callos a la madrilène.

Chef’s Home. Though it may be literally a hole-in-the-wall with a very discreet sign, it offers a whole world of Southeast Asian cuisine I fondly remember from trips around the region. Effectively run by a Malaysian chef and his Filipina wife, it is destined not to remain a secret spot for long. 

Vicky Tinio Clemente’s Mama’s Table at 888 Ambuklao Road is the ideal place to celebrate milestones, especially if you have so much time on your hands as she spares no effort to grant guests that singular experience – a degustacion like no other in her beautiful home with high ceilings complemented by a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Reservations are a must with a deserved minimum number of diners. 

The Ketchup Food Community is a unique al fresco food stop on Pacdal Road. It has grown into five distinct restos which allow customers to go on an informal rigodon of eats, hopping from one to the next to sample everything and yet have the purchases totaled in one bill and presented at the last stop. The outlets are Happy Tummy with Thai food and vegetarian fare; Green Pepper, whose specialties are salads, pasta and steak; Rumah Sate serves up a smattering of Indonesian and Malaysian fare; Canto offers tender, juicy lomo ribs; and Rancho Norte, traditional Filipino food.

The Philippine Military Academy at Fort Gregorio del Pilar. In all of Baguio, this is where pride of country is most palpable. Get a glimpse of the training of our future military leaders and its time-honored rites. Explore the PMA grounds and look at vintage tanks and other historical military weapons, watch the cadets at their drills in precise formation marching to a rhythm that has remained unchanged since it was founded in 1936. Don’t miss the PMA Museum for interesting arcana and perhaps find answers to such interesting questions like: How many graduates has it produced? Who has earned the most decorations in the field? Where have the class barons gone? And the class goat who became a Chief of Staff?

The Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Museum on the Upper End of Gen. Luna Road houses his personal memorabilia such as the different uniforms and barong tagalogs, a work desk, photographs and the wheelchair he used when he was confined at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. Also on display is a three-dimensional miniature diorama depicting his inauguration as president of the first Philippine Republic and a replica of the Philippine flag which was originally designed by the General with revolutionary words embroidered on it.

The Bencab Museum with its vast and fascinating terrain. Built by one of the four living National Artists for the Visual Arts, it is certainly one of my favorites. It houses not only his works, especially his signature muse Sabel, but also his very extensive collection of installation art, the works of Filipino masters and contemporary artists as well as those of upcoming painters and sculptors. It also features his vast collection of indigenous Cordillera art.

Take a respite at Café Sabel, enjoy the garden with a duck pond, the organic farm with an aviary of local and imported fowl, plus a mini-forest with an eco-trail. Souvenir items, artbooks, paper products, wood carvings and textiles are on sale at the Museum Shop.

Tam-awan Village, an evolving artists’ colony on a hill set amid an eye-catching collection of Ifugao and Kalinga huts. The art gallery is where one may purchase and take home a painting or sketch by one of several well-known residents.

Sculptor Ben Hur Villanueva’s residence, workshop-cafe and gallery is situated across the street from Tam-awan where everyone is most welcome to meet him, watch him work and view his finished artworks.

Greg Sabado. If you have to beg, steal or borrow, by all means try to wangle an invitation to this furniture designer and antique collector’s home filled with a wide array of priceless carvings and baskets and don’t forget to peek into the shop nearby. Worth noting is that even as the ban on logging has severely affected many, he continues to produce treasures from pieces that would usually be deemed as useless, to be thrown away, “marred” by nature or ravaged by time. The most irregularly shaped huge bowls and troughs pocked with holes transcend mere utilitarian values as these are transformed by Sabado’s deft hands.

Woodcarver’s Village on Asin Road is a revelation in motion. Imagine all of three kilometers of independent indigenous wood carvers showcasing works that range from small figurines to huge statues.

The Easter Weaving Room. As old as Baguio itself established in 1909, where traditional cloth weaving by the Cordillera locals is demonstrated. Be around when the weavers share their stories on the production of the exquisite and intricate Montañosa cloth, as you watch in awe as they perform magic on the rainbow-colored threads.

Narda Capuyan’s shop on Upper Session Road. This gifted Bontoc weaver revived the tradition of ikat weaving and has conquered the global market. Her new line emphasizes ecological sensitivity by including natural materials such as maguey, abaca, buri, raffia and many others.

The Philippine Treasures showroom is a veritable treasure trove of anything and everything the visitor would like to take home and as pasalubongs. Make pa-charming with the amiable owners and get invited to the manufacturing site where you will be dazzled by handcrafted home decorations and ornaments, silver contemporary jewelry, handcrafted baskets and flower arrangements. They also have a wide range of handcrafted Christmas décor. Everything is handcrafted – a true wonder!

Drop by Mt. St. Cloud, that quaint little book store beside the Hill Station and pick a book or two among its eclectic mix of titles on a wide-range of subjects that are hardly available in the bigger book stores elsewhere. Its homey and rustic setting is a sought-after venue for poetry readings and book launchings by some of Baguio’s literary lights.

The Butterfly Sanctuary at Camp John Hay. Designed around the Little Mermaid Garden built by American soldiers with the bronze mermaid statue amid a topiary garden, it is now surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of lovely butterflies fluttering around. Plan to visit during fair weather because butterflies tend to be more active on a bright sunny day.

The Baguio Botanical Gardens, a vast green haven amid the noise and traffic in Baguio’s main thoroughfares, is filled with towering pine trees, greenhouses and nurseries designed to propagate the flora and fauna species that are eventually transferred to parks and gardens around the city. It is also home of the Baguio Arts Guild and a popular site for tribal gatherings and rituals, open-air concerts and other community activities.

The Lost Cemetery of Negativism is a frequently searched-for nook on a tiny knoll at the historical core of Camp John Hay. It gives an impression of a pet cemetery with several small tombstones complete with animal figures. Each epitaph has a witty statement that is meant to dispel consuming negative thoughts and inner feelings which a departing visitor hopes to leave behind.

Strawberry taho. The melt-in-your-mouth goodness of this favorite snack that seems to be found in almost every other corner of the city is actually made from the standard old-fashioned soya beans but liberally drizzled with strawberry syrup. And, if one is lucky, some fresh strawberries might just be underneath it all.

And what can ever compare to those heady days when we trooped to La Trinidad, a short 30-minute ride from Baguio, to pick luscious berries – as fresh as you can get them – right off the crawling vines. It’s still a real treat for us to gather them alongside fascinating Ibaloi farmers, peppered with interesting stories of their history and tradition, arts and culture. The strawberry farms are open from November to May.

Jars of the incomparable and never-get-tired of strawberry jam from Benguet State University Food Products which we were introduced to eons ago by a friend. A Baguio trip, no matter how brief, always includes a visit to our source.

The Good Shepherd Convent. Through the years, this has gotten to be the place to get those much appreciated pasalubongs: peanut brittle, lengua de gato and ube jam. Purchasing these products goes a long way in supporting the works of the Good Shepherd sisters in various far flung missions all over the islands.

The ukay-ukay stalls are reported to be the most visited in the whole country, located at the Hilltop behind the Baguio City market; Bayanihan, the old hotel building northwest of Burnham Park; and Skyworld on the corner of Session Road and Calderon Street. And I do get a genuine thrill every time lady friends go berserk rummaging into stack upon stack and eventually shriek when they find never-used, much-desired designer bags and other rare finds, as if hitting the jackpot in some casino.

The Baguio Public Market, one of the cleanest and most organized in our islands, has the biggest, plumpest, juiciest and freshest vegetables. Organic markets have likewise sprouted all over the city promoting such vegetables, fruits and other healthy foodstuff. We buy them not by the kilo but by the sack for health conscious friends.

The iconic brooms. Though we learned years ago that most are made in neighboring provinces, it makes my loyal housekeeper Mercy Pelayo a happy woman every time I bring one home.

I have found my bliss in Baguio. I hope you do, too.