🇵🇭 BAGUIO • Burnham Lake: Man-Made Lake Within a City in the Mountains

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Sunday, September 25, 2011

Stories of town explorations.

"What makes it more beautiful, relaxing and soothing is the cool air, sometimes you have to encounter fogs, the tall pine trees and the beautifully blooming flowers around that blend well together to feel a Swiss-like village in the Philippines."

The lake is located at the center of the city. I mean, everything center - center of business, center of tourism, center for leisure, etc. The location is really strategic. Imagine that! A lake was created within a metropolis up high the highlands of Cordillera.

The man-made lake called the Burnham Lake located within a park with the same name, Burnham Park in the city of Baguio, Philippines is the melting point of culture and different kinds of people. The park is busy almost the whole day.

As you roam around, you'll be able to hear a group of people speaking Cebuano at one side, and at the other corner is Ilonggo, beside you is another Ilocano tongue and behind you are groups of people speaking Tagalog, English, Taglish and in a surprising manner, some speak Ibaloi and Kankanna-ey.

It is not uncommon to experience those because Baguio City is a premier tourist destination in the Philippines and everyone loves to go in this lovely place. Burnham Park with the man-made lake is the most popular destination in this city so expect to hear different languages in this part of Baguio. However, Tagalog is the most widely used which is the Philippines' national language then Ilocano, Baguio's native tongue along with other minor dialects.

Around the Burnham Lake is teaming with fun, excitement and activities but if you wish to reflect and have a personal reflection, the view of the Burnham Lake would be that enough to soothe your soul.

What makes it more beautiful, relaxing and soothing is the cool air, sometimes you have to encounter fogs, the tall pine trees and the beautifully blooming flowers around that blend well together to feel a Swiss-like village in the Philippines.

The ambiance is of great help to have a quiet time. Although the place is filled with a lot of people and activities, you still can't help but to feel a relaxing feeling in a relaxing scene given those variables at hand.

Around the lake is full of activities. Boating at the lake itself is a very popular choice. Anyone can enjoy the ride as you're going to float at the man-made lake through rented colorful boats.

Aside from boating, anyone can also enjoy biking, jogging or simply walking around the lake.

Burnham Park is an urban park that is planned as part of Baguio's urban planning. The Burnham Park is named after Daniel Burnham, an American architect and an urban planner who laid out the plans for the city.

The man-made lake is the main feature of Burnham Park. Around the lake is filled with a lot of leisure activities and experiences.

At the southern part of the lake is a skating rink. At the Eastern part is the Melvin Jones Grand Stand and Football Field. This grand stand is where activities such as concerts, parades and political rallies are made. And there you have the football field. No wonder, the architect is from America, a football-crazy nation.

At the western part of the lake is the Children's Park and the Orchidarium where one can rent a bike - single bike, bike in tandem or bike with sidecar. There are also bikes for little kids.

At the northern part of the lake is the bust of Daniel Burnham where a rose garden is located.

Really, around the man-made lake is filled with activities. Aside from those mentioned from North to South and East to West, there are more activities waiting.

Among these plenty of activities are chatting with friends, picnicking, having pedicure and manicure, dating and name them.

As I observe the behavior of the people in this park, I observed that eating at the edges of the lake is a good choice especially with a hot sip of coffee and a hot barbecue.

It is also a place for family bonding. Really a nice choice.

At the Burnham Park, no one can really hide the happiness and enjoyment that every person can feel because the park is like a small city within a city full of trade and commerce, with attractions, full of people of different culture, experiences, happenings, activities and the like in one man-made lake and a park.

Truly, the park brings smile to every face. /end

Baguio #TownExploration Series

Map Showing the Location of #Baguio

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[Suyo] Bridges Ilocos Ilocos Sur INFRASTRUCTURE Luzon Luzon Island Philippines South East Asia

🇵🇭 SUYO • The Bridge that Meets the Gigantic Mountain Rock

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Thursday, September 22, 2011

Stories of town explorations.

The gigantic rock was a grand welcome for us—showing a symbolic projection that the town would remain strong amidst both the natural and man-made threats that may come.

• As we looked down below the bridge, we saw some individuals fishing; and I couldn't decipher where these people came from. Looking around, there were no houses.

• At times, the construction of development projects may destroy and alter the natural beauty of a place; but in Suyo, I thought that the scenery was enhanced!

🇵🇭 SUYO, ILOCOS SUR

In a mountain town where scarcity of human population is evident, there hides an abundance of surprises. Because of relative remoteness, there were things hidden behind the mysteries and stories of the residents. However, residents of towns like this may still need to go beyond the usual and casual way of life in the mountains with several little clusters of communities. I landed in the town of Suyo; and gladly, I was thrilled to see (in 2010) that this mountain town seemed to gain more connections to the more commercially-developed towns.

► Suyo Infra Talks: Bridges and Roads

Unexpectedly, I thought that this place would be very challenging for us to explore because it is located in the highlands of Ilocos Sur. As someone living in Vigan, our disconnected life here seemed like we follow an isolationist civilization that we don't even have an idea of what's happening beyond the city borders—although people beyond our borders come to Vigan for various reasons. This stereotype may have been one of the reasons why I had this perception that there were no good road networks or infrastructure in this part of our province.

Surprisingly, I came to know that I underestimated the town; and to personally encounter the good road at that time felt unbelievable. The road appeared better compared to the lowlands. The only challenge here is the consistency of maintaining the road quality in a harsh environment (landslide, steep mountain slope).

I also encountered a lot of bridges along the way—spanning several river segments that physically separated the town from the other more commercially-developed towns. Through these pieces of infrastructure, the gap between development and underdevelopment has since bridged.

🇵🇭 SUYO • THIS IS CAYAPA BRIDGE, ONE OF THE BRIDGES BUILT ALONG THE SUYO-CERVANTES ROAD.

These bridges in the town of Suyo executed one of the first few steps in opening opportunities to the town by trading their rambutan products, coffee, ube, and other local products.

An instant feeling of solitude (although I was with my brother) dove to the depths of my soul as I captured that moment to grasp the very fresh and chilly air that's absent in my city.

At times, the construction of development projects may destroy and alter the natural beauty of a place; but in Suyo, I thought that the scenery was enhanced! Well, that's just me. Thanks to the roads and the bridges that helped bring in people to enjoy the charm of Suyo town.

The well-paved mountain roads curved and carved on the slopes of the mountains gave me unique experiences. Without it, I may have not reached Suyo with ease. In the past years, it's safe to say that the town was sleepy; and no one would dare go there for leisure purposes. Travel hindrances back then include the lack of bridges and good roads to cross the wild rivers and rapids.

Now, the story is different. Leisure traveling became more inviting because bridges were built to close the gap between doubt and trust. We can now trust the bridges and roads as means to mobilize us safely in the town.

► From River Stones to Gigantic Mountain Rocks

From afar, the stones in the river may look so small; but on a nearer scale, some stones are as large as a bus!

Those huge rocks in the river seemed to cause partial obstruction of the river flow. Speaking of rocks, these river rocks have their queen. As we reached another bridge called the Urzadan bridge, I got mixed emotions to see a huge mountain rock that looked intimidating for a first-time encounter. The gigantic rock faced us straightly as we crossed the curved part of the road!

🇵🇭 SUYO • URZADAN BRIDGE, ONE OF THE BRIDGES ALONG THE SUYO-CERVANTES ROAD.

🇵🇭 SUYO • URZADAN BRIDGE AND THE MONOLITH AT THE BACKGROUND

🇵🇭 SUYO • THE RIVER ROCKS ARE HUGE! CAN YOU SPOT THE RIVER FISHERMAN?

🇵🇭 SUYO • THIS IS THE RIVER THAT FLOWS BELOW THE URZADAN BRIDGE.

🇵🇭 SUYO • THIS RIVER, AS SEEN IN URZADAN, MEETS THE CHICO RIVER IN BRGY KIMPUSA.

I said that I had mixed emotions because the beauty I saw also evoked fear in me, like the thought of a landslide.

We paused our journey with my brother for a while to enjoy the view! The Urzadan bridge met the huge mountain rock in the end.

As our scooter got closer to that gigantic rock, the majesty and grandeur of the rock projected an authority that it's the queen of all the rocks below—bowing down to her royalty.

The gigantic rock was a grand welcome for us—showing a symbolic projection that the town would remain strong amidst both the natural and man-made threats that may come.

🇵🇭 SUYO • THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE WE SAW WITHIN THE COURSE OF OUR STOP ON THE URZADAN BRIDGE.

🇵🇭 SUYO • PHOTOGRAPHING THE EDGE OF THE HUGE MOUNTAIN ROCK.

We spent a long time at the Urzadan bridge, and we only saw one vehicle that passed the bridge aside from us. It felt like I was in a national park that was exclusively made for me and my brother.

As we looked down below the bridge, we saw some individuals fishing; and I couldn't decipher where these people came from. Looking around, there were no houses (note: as of 2024, there are already tourist resorts nearby, and a store was built at the end of the bridge). •

— END OF STORY —

• LATEST STORIES COVERING 'SUYO' •

SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

▼ ILOCOS SUR ▼ BRIDGES ▼ INFRASTRUCTURE

► More 'Ilocos Sur' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING 'ILOCOS SUR' | SEE OLDER STORIES

► More 'Bridges' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING RIVERS | SEE OLDER STORIES

► More 'Infrastructure' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING "INFRASTRUCTURE" | SEE OLDER STORIES

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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
• 2024-April-15: This post was rewritten. Lay-out version 2023.12 applied. Photo lay-out version 2024.1 applied.
• 2011-September-22: Original version of this post published.

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[Bauang] Bauang CHURCHES HERITAGE Ilocos (Region 1) La Union Luzon Luzon Island Philippines

🇵🇭 BAUANG • Church Behind a Dull Wall in La Union

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Monday, September 19, 2011

Stories of town explorations.

"It was in a high noon and I can feel the scorching heat of the sun but the fact that behind that ordinary wall is a historical gem hidden, the emotions have overwhelmed the sensation of discomforts landing on my tan skin.."

Actually, the church is not so evident along the highway because of that red wall. It is located at Central East, Bauang, La Union. What is only very notable is the bell tower which rises some meters high. Unlike most churches in Ilocos which are all grandiosely founded with alluring architectural beauty that is displayed in a strategic location where everyone can see the architectural feat direct to the beholder's eye, Bauang church has a surprising twist.

Maps by Wikipedia

Location Highlighted in Red

At my back is a huge wall, somewhat maroon or red in color, thick, high and truly wide. I was a bit intrigued why this wall was so huge as if it is hiding a very important gem.

I stepped back, lingered and had a sudden flavor of curiosity gushing in my blood stream.

Ordinary people might not care or won't care about this wall because it is just a typical huge wall seen in some elite mansions along the McArthur Highway. People who are going to commute will just stay foot, wait for a bus or jeepney ride and for sure won't care that much to see what is behind that wall because it looked ordinary and considerably huge.

Being a person who loves to explore for the sake of fulfillment and blogging, I wanted to discover what's behind. It could be a quality material for my blog I said to myself.

I turned on my back, faced the huge red wall then to feel the thrill of discovering something, I made a slow motion. Slowly but surely, little by little I am already approaching that huge entrance and note, there is an additional twist because the area is elevated with several stairs you have to step on.

The first thing that caught my attention is the radiance of the orange painting at the facade that looks like a sun. It is the heart of the church that enlightens the whole facade from the center giving the church an appeal that gives me a radiance of awe.

As I approach that huge entrance, my eyes' photoreceptor is experiencing a massive radiance coming out from that huge opening. As I reached that level where anything can be seen behind that big wall, I was shouting deep inside with "wow!" Peeping at that level of my sight is an architectural masterpiece with historical value! It was very fantastic that behind that red wall is really a precious gem - a historical gem!

I don't want to rush in going nearer to the church because I simply just wanted to enjoy the feeling of awe in terms of the church's architectural feat. It was in a high noon and I can feel the scorching heat of the sun but the fact that behind that ordinary wall is a historical gem hidden, the emotions have overwhelmed the sensation of discomforts landing on my tan skin.

I am always telling with my previous posts regarding the churches I have visited that it is not the religion that I am after with in featuring these churches but I just wanted to express my appreciation through this blog that I appreciate the architectural breakthroughs and desgins in the Philippines and a good example for this are the Roman Catholic churches.

I am not a Roman Catholic per se, but I always believe that what is important is my relationship to Jesus Christ who is my Savior. The talk for religion is out of here. I am here to appreciate the beauty of my country Philippines!

I preferred to stay in a distance for a while and have time to reflect with a touch of thinking about our Philippine history and on how the Spaniards who colonized the Philippines exerted a massive effort to introduce Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.

I was looking at the church and its inert beauty in front of a park with wide space and the blue sky that seemed like relating with my nuerochemicals and nerves' behavior that time.

At the side of the church is a Catholic school called the Sacred Heart School.

I approached the church into a more intimate scale of appreciation. As I am nearing the church, the architectural details is flaring like a spark. And as the architectural detail is flaring out, more manifestations of excitement and awe is becoming more evident with dilated pupils, increased heart rate and a deep breathing pattern.

Wow! It becomes more thrilling as I see it in a nearer perspective. I can see the old walls at the sides, the mixing colors and some modern additions that truly fit well with the original and old materials.

It is very interesting to look at that every parish church in the Philippines has its own story on how it was made, the struggles of the people attached with it including the devotion and faith that truly makes the history of their makings worth cherishing for. That is how sentimental the value of the churches is that can never be traded with money and fame. Truly it was a precious gem, not even as precious as a precious stone. It is even far from that. It is priceless!

Another great architectural beauty has been seen by me and I am truly glad that I am seeing these things.

They weren't gone, they were preserved. The name of the church is Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

Without any expectation, that red wall was really ordinary. But through this experience, it is teaching me a big lesson that one "should not judge a book by its cover." Behind that dull maroon reddish wall, is a bastion of colorful beauty that has made the history as colorful as the rainbow up in the sky.