ON BOARD COMMENTARY
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Are we all set for this tour? Still feeling
excited? Once again, I am Doreen, your tour guide for this day. Welcome on-
board! Together with us is our handsome and hardworking driver, Mr. Bryan Evans.
Don’t you worry dear tourists as our driver has been driving for almost 20 years
already, which means to say, he’s well off and our safety rests in his hand. He is 40
years old and he is from Baguio City, a native Cordilleran. Our vehicle is a new
Toyota Hi-ace Super Grandia Elite, 2020 model and its plate number is YAA 4869.
Please don’t forget so you would know what van to board in every stop.
Our vehicle is automatic, however if you prefer to have a window open
beside you, simply press the button below. Our vehicle is also equipped with a
cooling system. The garbage can is positioned below the driver's window and in
the back seat. Let us make our van clean. For your safety, I'd like to warn you to
avoid extending any portions of your body outside the window. Also, bring all of
your valuable items, such as money and electronics, with you and don't leave
them unattended in the vehicle. I'd also like to remind you to pack your bottled
water, umbrellas in case of unexpected rain, and even sunglasses to protect your
eyes from the sun. Please bring some cash as well, as practically every public
restroom charges a nominal fee of five pesos for maintenance. Is that okay my
dearest tourists?
Are you looking forward to it? Let us explore Baguio together as we tour
Centennial Park, Mines View Park, Wright Park, Bell Church, Tam-awan, Burnham
and before wrapping up the tour with some wonderful souvenir shopping at the
SM Baguio, and Baguio Public Market. Are we all excited for that? My dear tourists,
for us to appreciate the attraction, let me first discuss a short history of it.
A ridge located at the extreme northeast side of the city, past The Mansion
and Wright Park, Mines View Park boasts of a spectacular view of Benguet's gold
ON BOARD COMMENTARY
and copper mines and the Cordillera mountains. The main attractions in Mines
View Park nowadays would be the commercial activities such as the souvenir and
silverworks stores by the park. Tourists also have a chance to get dressed in full
Cordillera regalia -- bahag, shield and spear for the men, tapis for the ladies, vests
and headdresses for both. A visit to Mines View Park would not be complete
without a stop at the Good Shepherd Convent where you can buy strawberry
and ube jams, peanut, and cashew brittle and other goodies. They also have a
very nice view deck with the vista of the mountains of the Cordillera range as a
backdrop for photos.
Directly across The Mansion is Wright Park that features the much
photographed Baguio landmark, the "Pool of Pines". One will see a gazebo and
a long flight of stairs down the hill leading to the Wright Park Riding Circle, where
hundreds of horses and ponies of various sizes are for hire.
The Botanical Garden is located just 800 meters away from the wright park,
along beautiful Leonard Wood between Teachers Camp. You will be welcomed
by a bas relief sculpture made of cement and stone depicting the different rituals
of the Cordillera tribes, with real live Igorots who will be more than willing to pose
for photos for a small fee. It was recently renamed Centennial Park a valuable
addition to Botanical Garden is a beautiful bronze sculpture by famous Filipino
artist Ben-Hur Villanueva depicting the original builders of the city, composed of
Cordillera natives, Americans, Chinese and Japanese working together. This work
of art is located right past the gate so it will be hard to miss!
The Bell Church is located north of the city along the road leading to the
capital town of La Trinidad, Benguet. Within its compound are intricately designed
arches and buildings adorned with flags, bells and dragons. It has a pagoda, and
landscaped gardens. There are some Buddhist artifacts to be found there, as well
as some literature about the history of China.
Located in Pinsao Proper in Baguio City, 45 minutes and 15.5 km. away from
Bell church, the Tam-Awan Village is a great addition to your Baguio City
ON BOARD COMMENTARY
escapade. There’s a lot of things to discover in this beautiful model village. Today,
there are now seven Ifugao huts and two Kalinga houses made from original
materials. Aside from these native huts, the place is also an art center displaying
different forms of artworks.
And for our last stop, Burnham Park this was designed by and named after
premier American architect and urban planner, Daniel Hudson Burnham, who
also designed the original plan for Baguio City, they began the construction
around 1904. Last 2015, it has been declared as an official heritage site by The
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). Originally intended to
serve as a much-needed green park, to provide a bustling city with a peaceful
environment with wide open green spaces, Burnham Park under Filipino
administration is now more of an amusement park with boating, bicycle and
skating areas, sports and gaming areas, plus a few eateries. Thus considering it to
be the mother of all parks here in Baguio City. All other developments like the
cities businesses center Session road, Baguio City Hall, and the hugely popular city
market were built around Burnham Park. It can be accessed with any of the
following roads Harrison, Guisad, Governor Pack, and Magsaysay Road.
We are already near our next stop, please be reminded to bring all your
valuables. Now, as we will explore later on Burnham Park, I would like to remind
that you are given 1hour to enjoy the activities, take pictures and then afterwards,
you are requested to board our van.
Please be mindful of your things and enjoy every destination we are going to offer.
