Baguio, Panagbenga Festival...

The Panagbenga Festival is held yearly during the month of February. The celebrations are held for over a month and peak periods are the weekends. The Panagbenga Festival showcases the many floral floats and native dances. The fragrant smells that could be presently teasing of a factory senses are probably less from the now-dried flowers from Valentine's Day than air floating all the way from Baguio City. At this time of year, the City of Pines is almost surely in flower fury over Panagbenga festival, the city's biggest festival.

Situated amidst the mountainous region of Cordillera, 1,500 meters above the sea, 250 kilometers north of Manila, Baguio City is one of the few place in the Philippines blessed with a cool climate. On average, Baguio is at least eight degrees cooler than any place in the lowlands. Not surprisingly, Baguio has become the "summer capital" of the country. It is gifted with a variety of cultural, historical and scenic attractions which make it an important and interesting destiantion. As early as March, tourists and locals take the six-hour trek up the zigzagging Kennon Road. Within a mile of the city, the sweet scent of pine trees and flowers already permeate the air. Baguio is known as City of Pines or City of flowers, lies on a plateau 1400m above the sea level.

HISTORY
The arrival of the Americans in the early 1900s spurred development in the City. The American Governor Luke E. Wright commissioned Architect Daniel H. Burnham, a prominent Urban Planner to develop a plan for a health resort where the American soldiers and civilian employees could find respite from the sweltering lowland heat. This plan, better known as the Burnham Plan greatly altered the original mountain settlement and provided the first physical framework plan for the City.

Baguio has a number of attractions to please the most discriminating of sightseers. More importantly, most of these tourist sports are easily accessible via taxi or jeepney from Session Road. Burnham Park - Situated at the heart of the city, Burnham is the traditional venue of the city's numerous festivities. The park is named after the city's master planner Daniel Burnham. Its man-made lagoon is the site of many boating excursions, Bikers, hikers and skaters delight in the park's criss-crossing walkways. And of the romantic, a walk in the rose gardens is an absolute must. Mines View Park - Over the years, the Park has been transformed into a shopping showcase of sorts. It's here where you can load up on the province's bounties: hand woven jacket and blankets, silver knickknacks and jewelries, and various jams and preserve. Of course, none of these goodies could complete with the Park's breathtaking view of the hills and valleys of the Cordillera and the gold mines of Benguet.

Club John Hay - A tour of Baguio is incomplete without a bite of the Club's jumbo-sized burgers and sundaes. Formerly the R & R center of the United States Armed Force personnel in the Phillippines, the Club features hotel type rooms, seven food outlets, an 18-hole golf course, six tennis courts, a six-lane bowling center, basketball and volleyball courts, a heated swimming pool plus more for a definitively sporty weekend. Baguio Cathedral - Rising above the city skyline are the pinkish hues of the Baguio Cathedral. The cathedral is but one of a number of religious landmarks which dot the city. There is the Bell Temple, north of the city; the Maryhurst Seminary with its brilliant gardens; and Lourdes Grotto with its 252 steps to heaven. Banaue - Although Banaue is nine hours away from Baguio by bus, the tourist who takes the time to see this marvel of culture and architecture would be greatly rewarded. Known far and wide as the eighth wonder of the world, the Banaue Rice Terraces were carved from the mountain ranges centuries ago by the Ifugaos, one of the oldest known mountain tribes of the province. Sagada - One of the ten towns comprising Mountain Province is Sagada which is known for its numerous subterranean caves of their ancestors, the Sagadg area is a must-see for the archaeology buffs. Added attractions include the natural clear waters of Bokong Waterfall for a quick morning dip and the studio of renowned lensman Eduardo Masferres, whose collection of photographs of the Cordilleras is a photographer's envy.