Are you celebrating the Panagbenga Festival 2015 in Baguio City? Join the SMART-Innopub social media photo contest and get the chance to win one of three LTE pocket Wi-Fi devices.
All you need to do is like the official Facebook pages of Smart Travel PH and Smart Communications, Inc., download the free Baguio Guide app to your Android or Windows phone devices, and tag the Panagbenga 2015-related photos you upload to your social media accounts with #smartpanagbenga.
Baguio Guide mobile app
InnoPub Media, in coordination with wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc., is holding an online photo contest covering Panagbenga 2015-related activities.
The Panagbenga 2015 photo contest will run from February 25 to March 2. To join, all you need to do is post your Panagbenga 2015 photos in your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts and tag them with #smartpanagbenga and notify us of your entry by leaving a link to your photo as a comment in the Smart Travel PH FB page.
The Best Panagbenga 2015 Photo, Best Panagbenga Selfie, and Best Media/Blogger Entry will each win a SMART LTE pocket wifi device. Aside from #smartpanagbenga, photos by media and bloggers must carry either the #baguiomedia or #baguioblogger tags.
Smart and InnoPub will be selecting 10 finalists and posting their photos on the Smart Travel FB page on March 5. Read the full mechanics of the SMART-InnoPub Social Media Photo Contest in the Baguio Guide app.
Developed by Cebu-based startup InnoPub Media in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc., the Baguio Guide app is a reliable and handy tool, especially for first timers in Baguio City.
People travelling to Baguio for the annual Panagbenga festivities now have a mobile app to turn to for quick answers to questions like where to stay, what to eat and how to get around during the much anticipated flower festival.
Developed by Cebu-based startup InnoPub Media in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the Baguio Guide app is a reliable and handy tool, especially for first timers in Baguio City.
“With the Baguio Guide app, people can plan ahead their itinerary, accommodation and travel plans, and other activities they want to do in Baguio. It’s like a virtual tour guide that can help them maximize their stay in Baguio as they participate in the flower festival,” said Smart Public Affairs Group Head Ramon Isberto.
Developed by Cebu-based startup InnoPub Media in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc., the Baguio Guide app is a reliable and handy tool, especially for first timers in Baguio City.
Must-try, must-visit
Apart from the section about the Panagbenga festival, the app also features helpful information about the city. Articles on must-try food and must-visit places in Baguio, as well as the Department of Tourism-accredited tour guides and tour operators are also listed in the guide.
One interesting feature of the app is the “tap to call” feature allowing users to call phone numbers in the app with just a click. It has a directory of important contact numbers of hospitals, emergency units, and police stations.
The app also provides location data. Some places featured in the guide are GPS-tagged with a “check location” link. With a single tap, the app will suggest routes and directions to the desired destinations via the GPS guide system of the users’ devices.
“The Baguio Guide is a useful resource to tourists because it is on a device that people take with them wherever they go: the phone,” said InnoPub Media co-founder Max Limpag. InnoPub recently released a new version of the guide for Android users.
Panagbenga livestreaming
Smart, in partnership with Sun.Star Baguio, will also make available the live streaming of Panagbenga activities through the Baguio Guide app, from Feb. 28 to March 1.
The development of tourism e-guides is part of Smart’s digital inclusion advocacy, which aims to include more Filipinos in the digital conversation by making information available and accessible through the use of mobile and web technologies.
Aside from Baguio Guide, Smart and InnoPub also developed tourism guide apps for Iloilo City, Sta. Barbara (a town in Iloilo), Cebu City and Cebu municipalities namely: Samboan, Boljoon, Carcar, and Argao. Smart and InnoPub also developed the Sinulog Guide last year. Its 2015 version released last month generated around 2,500 downloads, and positive feedback from users.
In addition to the apps, Smart and InnoPub also deploy interactive tourism markers that, when scanned or tapped with a phone, trigger the download of tourism and historical information about that certain place or structure. The interactive markers are currently installed in various heritage and tourist spots in Baguio, Cebu and Iloilo.
DOWNLOAD BAGUIO GUIDE
Get a guide to Baguio City in your phone or tablet by downloading our free Baguio Guide from the Google Play Store or Windows Phone Store. The app is a comprehensive guide to the Philippines’ summer capital, listing things to do and places to stay or go to. It also contains a portable directory of important contact numbers and DOT-accredited establishments.
Its mountainous terrain and strategic location within the Cordillera mountain range give Baguio City the advantages of a cool temperature and scenic views.
The city has an abundance of forest reserves, parks, and pine trees, and the high elevation provides many places – from the city center to the outskirts – with sweeping vistas.
Aside from its unique mix of natural and historical attractions, a combination of cultures that incorporates Spanish, American, and native Ibaloi and Cordilleran tribal influences gives the city a unique socio-cultural flavor.
As a retail and urban hub, Baguio boasts of an economic zone and a technology enclave as well as a number of stores carrying imported and top brands.
Co-existing with these establishments are souvenir and other shops selling goods distinctly Baguio such as strawberry products, knitted wear, woodcraft, and silver jewelries.
Baguio center attractions
Within the Baguio central business district are several spots identified as tourist draws by the City Government. They are of walking distance from many Baguio accommodation establishments and include parks, shopping areas, and historical monuments.
1. City Hall building
The Baguio City Hall building was built in 1949-1950.
Your tour within the city center should start at City Hall. This current building, constructed in 1949-1950, replaced the one built in 1910 during the term of E.W. Reynolds, first city mayor, hat was destroyed during World War II in 1945.
To get more details about this building, such as how to get there or its GPS coordinates, and the other sites in the list, download the Baguio Guide from the Google Play Store.
2. Burnham Park
Man-made lake at Burnham Park.
One of the interesting nature spots in Baguio is an urban park named after the American architect, Daniel H. Burnham, who laid plans for the city in the 1900’s. The park is a sprawling green space encompassing 32 hectares right in the city center. It is just a few minutes walk from City Hall.
The Baguio Guide app provides a list of the different activities you can do in Burnham Park.
3. Baguio Cathedral
The Baguio Cathedral is one of the most photographed buildings in the city.
Standing on a hill originally referred to as “Kampo” by the native Ibalois, the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral depicts Gothic architectural influences in its twin spires, stained glass, and rose windows.
The structure also has a distinctive pink color. It was built in phases starting in 1920 not by the Spaniards by a Catholic Mission established by missionaries of the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) from Belgium in 1907.
4. Baguio City Public Market
Strawberries are sold cheaply and in abundance at the Abanao Market, also known as the Baguio City Public Market.
Baguio is known for its strawberries and in no other area in the city is this fruit sold cheaply and in abundance than in the public market.
Also called Abanao Market, it is located at the foot of Session Road along Magsaysay Avenue.
Other tourist draws
Trips to other attractions take more time because they’re located some distance from the city’s nucleus. Such trips need to be planned and the route plotted ahead of time especially since Baguio has a lot of one way streets.
5. Baguio Botanical Garden
The Baguio Botanical Garden features a wide variety of plants.
Take a stroll along the winding trails and stone steps of the Baguio Botanical Garden. It has a wide range of flowering, herbal, and decorative plants interspersed with pine trees. Some plants are even for sale.
The garden’s main entrance is along Leonard Wood Road, between the Teacher’s Camp and Pacdal Circle. It had been in the past been called Igorot Village, Imelda Park, and Centennial Park. Within the huge park are relics from its Igorot Village days, such as tribal huts and sculptures.
There are pocket gardens within the park dedicated to Baguio’s sister cities. There is a network of Japanese tunnels as well. The Baguio Botanical Garden is just a kilometer away from the city center.
6. Mines View Park
Mines View Park is a top tourist attraction in Baguio,
No other spot encapsulates the city’s breathtaking scenery better than Mines View Park.
The park, located in the outskirts of Baguio, offers a wide and clear view of Benguet’s mountain ranges where gold, silver, and other ores were once mined, hence its name.
Souvenir items and other Baguio products are sold in the area. Silver jewelry, which the city is known for, is sold at the Ibay’s and Pilak branches in Mines View.
7. Camp John Hay
The world-class golf course at Camp John Hay.
Camp John Hay has often been referred to as the “little Baguio” with Baguio City. The urban design for Baguio created by American architect Daniel H. Burnham in the 1900’s was for a community with a population expected to reach but not breach 25,000.
Some 100 years later, the city’s population has grown to over 10 times more. There are more people, houses, and cars on the road.
Camp John Hay offers a picture of Baguio City as it used to be. More information about Camp John Hay and the things you shouldn’t miss in the mountain resort can be found at the Baguio Guide mobile app that’s offered for free download in the Google Play Store.
8. Wright Park
Visitors may ride any of the horses at Wright Park.
A favorite of kids and adults alike in Baguio is Wright Park where an organization of pony boys offers horseback rides. It is located northeast of the city center.
From the horseback riding area, a stone stairway leads to the “Pool of the Pines,” a quiet stretch with a 100-meter long shallow and narrow pool lined on both sides by Baguio’s towering pines.
The park is named after Luke Edward Wright, American governor-general of the Philippines (1904-1906).
9. The Mansion
Built in 1908, The Mansion on Leonard Wood Road housed a succession of American governor-generals. It is located just across Wright Park.
It is now utilized as the official residence of the Philippine President in the summer capital and designed look great and be comfortable with the best furniture and even blinds from services as selectblinds canada and others. The Baguio Guide app contains more information about this Baguio attraction such as where they got the inspiration for its wrought iron gates.
10. Philippine Military Academy
War relics and memorabilia displayed at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) grounds.
This premier military institution has its beginnings in Spanish colonial times. Established in the 19th century, it became the venue for the training for sons of soldiers and those aspiring for higher military positions.
Don’t forget to check out the Philippine Military Academy museum, which displays memorabilia related to the development of the academy. PMA allows visitors a peek into a typical cadet room at the museum.
11. Tam-Awan Village
Tam-awan Village features Tribal icons and dwelling huts.
Set on a rolling slope along Lt. G. Tacay Road, Tam-Awan Village promotes and preserves tribal and indigenous cultures and practices.
It offers accommodations in authentic dwelling places of Benguet’s different tribes. The village features seven Ifugao and two Kalinga huts made of indigenous materials.
Following the trail within the village’s mountainous terrain will lead guests to great views of the surrounding environs. The West Philippine Sea sunset, on a clear day, may be viewed from the area.
Lodging and entrance fees provided in the free Baguio Guide mobile app that’s available for download at the Google Play Store.
12. BenCab Museum
National artist Benedicto Cabrera displays his collection of paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture at the BenCab Museum.
Located along Km. 6 Asin Road, Cabrera’s museum also features works of rising contemporary artists.
An interesting albeit mature spot in the museum is the Erotica Gallery. Drawings, paintings, sculpture, and other artworks by various artists with an erotic subject or theme are displayed there.
13. Ifugao Wood Carvers Village
The way to BenCab museum is dotted with woodcarving shops. The area is known as the Ifugao Wood Carvers Village. Beautiful, hand-carved products are sold at low prices in the shops.
14. Lourdes Grotto
The uphill way to the shrine of the Lady of Lourdes.
A shrine to the Lady of the Lourdes is located close to the BenCab Museum. The Our Lady of the Lourdes Grotto is accessible through the Dominican Hill Road and pilgrims need to climb 252 steps to reach it.
Since it is located on a high elevation, the shrine also offers fantastic views of the mountainsides.
15. The Prayer Mountain and Tourism Center (Dominican Hill)
Once a monastery, the Diplomat Hotel now lay abandoned and in ruins.
When the Americans were encouraging people to come to Baguio, the councils of the Province of the Dominican Order voted to construct a monastery on a 17-hectare property they had acquired in the city.
The monastery was later turned into the Diplomat Hotel that is now abandoned and in ruins on Dominican Hill. Residents even say it’s haunted.
16. Bell Church
Located on the border of Baguio City and La Trinidad Valley, this cluster of temples called Bell Church features oriental architecture, ornate gateway, dragon ornaments, and Buddha-guarded windows. It sits atop a hill. The priest in the Bell Temple preaches a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity.
Aside from a list of top places to visit, the Baguio Guide mobile app that is offered for free download at the Google Play Store also contains information on Baguio hotels, restaurants, and other key information.
BAGUIO GUIDE
Get a guide to Baguio City in your phone or tablet by downloading our free Baguio Guide from the Google Play Store or Windows Phone Store. The app is a comprehensive guide to the Philippines’ summer capital, listing things to do and places to stay or go to. It also contains a portable directory of important contact numbers and DOT-accredited establishments.
You know you're near Baguio City when you pass by the Lion's Head along Kennon Road. This monument is sculpted from natural rock formation, according to a marker put up by the Lion's Club of Baguio.
Baguio City’s cool climate and wide vistas make it popular with local and foreign visitors, especially during days when the temperature in low lying areas climb up to over 30 degrees C.
In hot, tropical Philippines, the city’s cooler than average temperature is a novelty and earned it the title of “summer capital” begining in 1903.
Baguio, which lies on a plateau 5,000 feet above sea level , is also blessed with sweeping views of the Cordillera mountain range in northern Luzon.
Constructed in 1949-1950, the Baguio City Hall replaced a previous structure built in 1910 during the term of E.W. Reynolds, first city mayor. It was destroyed during World War II in 1945.
A mountainous terrain provides Baguio with natural tourist attractions like forests and watersheds as well as scenic mountain ranges.
One thing closely associated with Baguio is the Pinus Insularis (Benguet Pine), and the abundance of these trees in the area earned it the “City of Pines” label. Baguio is part of the Province of Benguet.
Beginnings
From its beginnings as a vast grassland, a grazing area for hundreds of herds of cattle, Baguio has transformed into an urban center with a technology hub, high-end hotels, and retail facilities for top imported and local brands.
Aside from the summer capital, Baguio is also called the “City of Pines” due to the abundance of these trees in the area.
In Spanish records, the very first mention of Baguio identify it as one of 31 rancherias, a minor rancheria of 20 houses, established by Spanish Commandante Guillermo D. Galvey in the late 19th century.
Baguio was a minor rancheria of the Commandancia put up by Galvey in a valley in Benguet in 1864. He named it La Trinidad after his wife, Trinidad de Galvey, Baguio City records showed.
The city’s early name was Kafagway and this later became Baguio, from the native word “Bag-iw” meaning moss.
When the Americans took over from the Spaniards, they established the first provincial government in Benguet and appointed a Canadian journalist, Hubert Phelps Whitmarsh, as governor.
American city
In Baguio, among the very first things one notices are the foreign names, American in particular, of parks, streets, and other sites. Other memorabilias of that era include American colonial buildings and 50’s-themed diners within the city center.
You know you’re near Baguio City when you pass by the Lion’s Head along Kennon Road. This monument is sculpted from natural rock formation, according to a marker put up by the Lion’s Club of Baguio.
This is because the Americans, when they first took possession of the Philippines after the Spanish-American war, put a premium on Baguio’s development because of its refreshing climate.
It was a renowned American architect, Daniel H. Burnham, who prepared the urban design for Baguio in the early 1900s, said its City Tourism Office. Burnham was tasked to create an urban plan for the city by William Cameron Forbes, who was appointed to the Philippine Commission in 1904. This plan was presented to then Secretary of War William Howard Taft who immediately approved it.
Baguio was declared the country’s “Summer Capital” on June 1, 1903 by the Philippine Commission. The declaration allowed the Americans to set aside funds for the construction of basic infrastructure in the city and undertake improvements to the Benguet Road.
The road, renamed Kennon Road after the engineer (Col. Lyman W. Kennon) who was instrumental in its completion, was started in 1901 and completed in 1905.
With the Philippine Commission further adopting Act 1963 in 1909 that transformed it into a chartered city, Baguio by 1913 had the amenities of a typical 20th century American city.
Tourism mecca
After it was reduced to rubble during World War II, there was tremendous effort to rebuild the city based on the Burnham plan. This was laid to waste during the killer earthquake of 1990.
Baguio’s spirit of community allowed it to reclaim its position as the country’s summer capital and position itself as the tourism mecca of the north.
As an urban center and the only city in the Cordillera, Baguio has also become the gateway to the Cordilleras and other wonders in Northern Luzon.
The city’s population is pegged at 318,676 based on the 2010 census. It has a very high literacy rate of 98 percent, according to the tourism office.
Baguio’s socio-cultural scene is enriched by a variety of ethno-linguistic groups that include the Ibalois, considered the original settlers, together with other Cordilleran groups such as the Bontocs, Kalingas, Ifugaos, and Kankanais and together they comprise about 10 percent of the population.
Tourism continues to flourish in the city, which now hosts state of the art telecommunication facilities, a wide range of accommodation types, and various transport services including air travel, bus lines, and other public utility vehicles.
Get a guide to Baguio City in your phone or tablet by downloading our free Baguio Guide from the 
