MANAOAG, PANGASINAN. Over the weekend, I had fun seeing the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio City. Jeff, my best friend, accompanied me to this weekend get-away to see if the weather in Baguio is still cold compared to the scourging heat and humidity in Manila. Nature did not disappoint us.
During our stay, the weather in Baguio was cold. Session road, Burnham Park, Rizal Park and the Cathedral are jam-packed with criss-crossing people. The public market, despite the recent fire tragedy, is also littered with people, both local and international tourists. I, too, noticed a number of young Koreans, who I supposed, are international students in local Baguio schools.
It was my first time to roam around SM Baguio City and I was fascinated with its architecture. It is a large shopping mall that did not require air-conditioning because it is relatively cold in Baguio year round. There is a veranda overlooking Burnham Park. The view from this spot is breathtaking.
Seeing the grandeur of Baguio City from this view, I find it weird to think about environmental protection. Probably, it is the old environmentalist me, kicking off my senses. I have been to this city many times and I have personally witnessed the shift of landscape, and the conversation of Baguio lands into this sprawling urban enterprise. The change that I see seems to be a natural consequence of the culture of consumption that has been the persisting worldview of this generation.
Yes, I observed that whatever it is that one could find in Manila, one could also find in Baguio. But if there’s one thing that Baguio offers, which Manila would not be able to give away for free, it is her cold summer breeze. And for this, I am thankful that up to now, I have not seen Baguio’s cold air packed into bottled containers for individual consumption. This is not far from happening and so for this short visit, I made it sure to breath and feel as much as I can, the touch, bounty and spirit of Baguio’s summer breeze.
