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Baguio City: Americanization
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How did Baguio City of the Philippines become the most American of all the Philippine cities?
todayUday
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Thank you for the A2A which tickles my memory somehow- Baguio City is very much a part of my life as this is where it (my marriage and family) all started. 🙂 To answer, I will quote excerpts which mention notable Americans instrumental in the formation of Baguio City. Their names are witness to their immense contribution to what Baguio City is now and explains the nature of your Q: ”In 1903, Filipinos, Japanese and Chinese workers were hired to build Kennon Road, the first road directly connecting Baguio with the lowlands of La Union and Pangasinan. Before this, the only road to Benguet was Naguilian Road, and it was largely a horse trail at higher elevations. Camp John Hay was established on October 25, 1903 after PresidentTheodore Roosevelt signed an executive order setting aside land in Benguet for a military reservation for the United States Army. It was named after Roosevelt's Secretary of State, John Milton Hay. The Mansion, built in 1908, served as the official residence of the American Governor-General during the summer to escape Manila's heat. The Mansion was designed by architect William E. Parsons based on preliminary plans by architect Daniel Burnham. [13] Burnham, one of the earliest successful modern city planners, designed the mountain retreat following the tenets of the City Beautiful movement. [14] In 1904, the rest of the city was planned out by Burnham. On 1 September 1909, Baguio was declared as a chartered city and nicknamed the "Summer Capital of the Philippines". [15] The succeeding period saw further developments of and in Baguio with the construction of Wright Park in honor of Governor-General Luke Edward Wright, Burnham Park in honor of Burnham, Governor Pack Road, and Session Road.” (From Wikipedia- please check their write-up on beautiful Baguio City, to know more about this pre-Spanish period community, and fall in love with the place!) These names still stand out (Wright Park is known best by kids’ horseback riding; Burnham Park for the rare orchids and plants displays, biking and the lake for canoe-ing/boating; Gov Pack road for upscale restos, and Session Road fir the shopping area popular for its “cardiac hill” set-up. These names are remembered by both residents and tourists who escape the heat and pollution in metro-Manila, and enjoy the ambience of old American style cottages in Teachers’ Camp (named in honor of the early American teachers/settlers in Baguio) and in the vicinity of the Baguio Country Club. And best of all, in 65degsF average temps year round, while having a whiff of pine scent! Baguio City is very accessible from Metro-Manila via first class scenic toll roads (NLEX, SCTEx, TPLEx and of course the Kennon road (don’t miss the view of the zigzag/hairpin curves from the viewpoint-top of the zigzag!), to admire this engineering feat. Personally, i always look forward to a trip up north (Baguio is in northern Luzon) as this gives me a triple treat: a taste of the mountains – Benguet, the lowlands -Pangasinsn and Tarlac, and the seas – surf-able beaches of La Union and the Ilocos provinces-all within a couple of hours leisurely drive! ^_*
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If this is so, it would be because Baguio became the “summer capital” of the Philippines during the American period (1898–1946). Like many other Westerners, the Americans found the heat of lowland Southeast Asia oppressive, especially in the hottest/driest months, so they set out to build a “hill station” where they could retreat for a season every year. (Cf. Simla and scores more in British India, the Cameron Highlands in Malaya, Dalat in Vietnam, Bogor/Buitenzorg in Java.) So they quickly built a road up to Baguio and as soon as enough buildings were constructed, adjourned the whole Philippine government up there for summer every year. The climate seemed much friendlier – more like “home” – and so many Americans, and quite a few Filipinos, built houses there as well, to take advantage of the relative cool, compared with sweltering Manila. And since the Spanish had never really established themselves there, Baguio lacks the Hispanic architecture and Roman Catholic infrastructure that characterize many other Philippine cities, so the 20th-century developments stand more on their own, rather than being “overlaid” on an existing Hispanic template.