Burnham Park is centered around a man-made lake located at the heart of the city. It was named after the city's planner, Daniel Burnham. The park is a favorite place of local residents and visitors alike. There are different facilities for recreation and relaxation that are available in the park. You can row a boat, have a picnic, attend an outdoor concert, watch a football game, go biking, or just take a leisurely stroll around the park.
Within the park are tennis and basketball courts, a few restaurants, outdoor kiosks, a children's playground, and an orchidarium where various kinds of plants, trees and flowers are sold. Chairs and benches are distributed around the park for those who just want to sit down and relax. The football field at the eastern side of the park is sometimes used for parades, carnivals, concerts, political rallys, and for display booths during special events and activities. On certain Sundays and some special occasions, cadets of the Philippine Military Academy perform a parade and review or a silent drill exhibition at the field. Just after the big earthquake that hit the city in 1990, many of its residents fled their homes for fear of aftershocks and temporarily set camp in this field.
Burnham Park is an ideal place for taking photographs and a visitor should bring along a camera when going to the park. If in case you forget to bring a camera during your visit, there are commercial photographers in the park who can take your pictures. Pictures are usually delivered to you within just a few hours. It is best to determine and agree on the fee for the services of the photographer and the cost of the photographs before committing yourself to one.
MINES VIEW PARKThere is no doubt that the Mines View Park is one of the most popular and most visited park in the city. From the observation deck of the park a breathtaking panoramic view of Benguet's gold and copper mines and the surrounding mountains unfolds before you. It is a spectacular sight to behold and should not be missed when visiting Baguio.
The park is usually the next stop taken by most visitors after seeing the Mansion or Wright Park. To reach the observation deck, you need to go down a winding stone-covered stairway which is just close to the parking area. One should be careful when ascending or descending the stairway just after a rain as the steps can be very slippery.
There are a few benches at the promontory where you can sit down to rest and enjoy the view. For a few pesos you can rent a binocular and there are also some commercial photographers around just in case you want to have your picture taken. A visit to the park should also be planned earlier during the day as the view may not be visible when the fog starts to move in during the afternoon. However, this occurs only on certain months of the year.
WRIGHT PARKWright Park, which is located at the eastern part of the city and fronting the main gate of the Mansion, is one of the many scenic parks in Baguio City. Its main features are a shallow elongated rectangular body of water known as the "Pool of Pines" and the park circle which is on one end of the park. Postcard-type photographs are usually taken at both ends of Wright Park and when going there it is best to bring along a camera.
Tall pine trees and decorative street lights line both sides of the access road beside the pool. There are times that you will find at the park some Igorots dressed in their native attire and regalia who are willing to pose for a photograph provided they are going to be paid for it. Native handicrafts are also sold at the Mansion end of the park by a few Igorot peddlers.
From the park circle is a walkway which leads to a wide stairway made of stones that descend to an area where ponies are rented out. Riding a pony is a favorite among children as well as adults. The place is usually crowded with people during sunny weekends and on holidays. With an accompanying guide, there are some ponies that may be rented and taken farther out along South Drive, the Mines View Park area or to Outlook Drive. For those who intend to take out a pony, it is advisable to first agree on the hourly cost to be charged.
LION'S HEAD PARKThe Lion's Head Park along Kennon Road is the undisputed landmark that is synonymous to Baguio City. It is commonly said that a trip to Baguio City would not be complete without taking home a souvenir photograph with the famous lion head which serves as the backdrop on Kennon Road.
Local and foreign tourists make it a point to stop in Camp 6 and have their photographs taken at the base of the lion head. The 40-foot high lion head, located a few kilometers from the Kennon Road view deck, was carved by a Cordillera artist from a limestone boulder. Lions Club members of Baguio City thought of creating a symbol that would proclaim the presence of the group in this mountain resort city.
Just beside the lion head are a few small stalls that sell woodcarving and other native handicraft. Softdrinks and light snacks are also sold to visitors who take time to stop and take a break after the 45-minute drive up Kennon Road. The vendors have enjoyed high sales since this popular landmark was constructed.
It was during the term of Baguio Mayor Luis Lardizabal, who was also Lions Club governor in 1969 to 1970, when the club conceptualized the creation of the lion head. Actual work started in 1971 and took a year before this now-famous landmark of Baguio was unveiled to the public by Lions Club International in 1972. The club tapped donations from Lion members and businessmen in the city and pooled proceeds from a state convention to fund the construction of the lion head.
RIZAL PARKBetween Burnham Park and the City Hall of Baguio is a rectangular piece of city property known as Rizal Park. The park was erected in honor of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines and is similar to numerous other parks that are found in towns and cities all over the Philippines which are also named in his honor. It is on this site that the annual celebration honoring Rizal every 30th of December is held.
Rizal is said to be one of the greatest Filipinos who ever lived. At a time when the Philippines was under the oppressive rule of the Spaniards who came to colonize the country, Rizal's brilliance and dedication to his country served as inspiration for the Filipinos to fight for their independence. Rizal was a believer in the potential of the Filipino to seek the greatest heights amid adversity, and he lived a life that proved this.
Rizal was an academician, a linguist, historian, writer, a scientist, and a medical doctor. He wrote a book titled "Noli Me Tangere" where he depicted the condition Filipinos were living in under the hostile and oppressive rule of the Spanish friars. His books were banned by the Spanish friars in the country at that time since it sought to expose their corruption and greed. Rizal’s second novel was the "El Filibusterismo" which was the sequel to his first book and where he clarified his political ideas.
Dr. Rizal had thoughts of eventual independence for his country. He was a believer in non-violent resistance even before India’s Mahatma Gandhi made it fashionable. He refused to endorse an armed uprising against Spain, fearing that the poorly equipped Filipino revolutionaries would be slaughtered. Instead he believed that quality education held the key to the liberation of his beloved land.
It does sound ironic that the revolution which started in his lifetime was attributed by the Spaniards to Rizal although he never had a hand in it. He was falsely accused as the supreme leader of the "Katipunan" which was looked upon by the Spaniards as an illegal and subversive organization at that time. The Spanish military court found Rizal guilty of rebellion and sedition and was executed by a firing squad in Bagungbayan Field (Luneta Park) on December 30, 1896. Rizal's execution served as an inspiration to his compatriots and fueled the Philippine revolution, telling the world that here was a people yearning to be free.
BAGUIO BOTANICAL GARDENThe Baguio Botanical Garden is located east of Baguio's downtown area. You will find it between Teacher's Camp and the Pacdal Circle. Its main entrance is along Leonard Wood Road and just across the street from Gilberto's Hotel and Baguio Vacation Hotel. It is quite a large park and about the same size as Burnham Park.
Also known as the Igorot Village, the Botanical Garden features native huts typical of the type of Igorot dwellings found in the Cordilleras. The village is said to capture the ethnic spirit and cultural legacy of the Igorots and being tranquil and quiet, it is a nice place to just sit down and relax, take a leisurely stroll along its narrow and winding pathways and also enjoy the landscape where you will find numerous plants and trees.
Some years back Igorot dances and rituals were held in an improvised outdoor stage within the village. Local students go to the Botanical Garden for a day of retreat or just enjoy the outdoor environment. When visiting the Botanical Garden, you will usually find a group of Igorots at the main entrance who are dressed in their authentic native attire and regalia. They will be more than happy to pose with visitors for a souvenir picture ... of course, for a fee.
There are plants that are also sold at the Botanical Garden, however, before you decide to buy any, be aware that some of these plants may not be suitable for replanting in lowland areas where the climate is much more humid and warmer than that of Baguio. Just bear in mind that the city has an average elevation of about 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above sea level with a temperature a number of degrees lower than that of Manila and the nearby provinces in northern Luzon. It will probably be best to just admire or take a photograph of the beautiful plants and colorful flowers that are abundantly seen and grown in Baguio.
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