Baguio City: The Summer Capital of the Philippines?

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Trees -- Joyce Kilmer

When you say Baguio City in the Philippines every if not all Filipinos would say “The Summer Capital of the Philippines” but will it still be the same after a few years from now? Can we, the Igorots – collective term of the people of the highlands, the real residents and owner of the place, still maintain the cold weather of the city? Are we still going to hear music from the trees adorned with the chanting of the birds? Or will all these be just part of wonderful memories?

I still remember when I and my family visited this wonderful city during my childhood days. We normally wear thick jackets, jogging pants or thick pants and rosy cheeks during summer. Pine trees are everywhere. One would know if you are near the city of Baguio because of the pine scents when you’re in Marcos Highway. Today, I would say this were the days.

Today, I would know that I am near Baguio City aside from the terrain and zigzag but because I would see a mountain of houses. Houses that mushrooms along the sides of the mountain. Today, it is still cold up there comparing it to the temperature of the lowlands but I think it is cold there because of the elevation not because we have a lot of trees that makes it even colder. During my college days, I no longer don’t hear the hissing sound of the trees rather I hear car’s horn. I no longer cant hear bird singing but I now hear a lot of people chatting and a screeching sound of tires.

Establishments are good and industries in deed gives option to a livelihood to the people of north. However will it also meant to degrade the environment where most tourist really love? For Example, SM BAGUIO gives livelihood to more than a hundred Igorot’s, Ilocano’s and other nearby Tribes but will it also meant to sacrifice this 30 years old trees that give more uniqueness to this mall? Malls are scattered all across the Philippine Archipelago and that people visit Baguio City not to go to the malls but because they would like to do away with the hassle and bustle of the big cities. They wanted to see things they can’t see in their point of origin or different temperature for that matter. We don’t need to earth ball the trees beside the SM BAGUIO we need to plant more trees on our mountains and not houses and buildings. In fact we don’t know if these trees will really survive after we earth balled them.

All the other tourist destination in the Philippines are stepping up and they are using the beauty of nature to market their place. I think Baguio City has the huge edge in this, plus Baguio is the drop off point of tourist going to other places in the north.

I think it is about time to bring back the beauty of the old Baguio. The one tourist loved and not expanding buildings. I think the only way to go back to the old Baguio is to strengthening our vegetable industry, finding innovations of strawberry products and other agricultural product and developing more Tourist attraction like zip line and the like and not uprooting trees and transplanting them somewhere else. Instead of transplanting NGO’s and GO’s and those business establishments advertising their willingness to join those Earth Day activity should help in planting trees instead.

This is just my opinion towards the heating issue of the underlying the beautiful city that I am most proud off and the city that gave me hope.