Author: Baguio

Baguio City Market is a public market offers all the best products and raw material of the Cordillera in the Philippines. It also boils down as the only market in the country that is consider a top tourist attraction.

Baguio City Market is the ‘melting pot’ of the Cordillera and lowland products. While it may be busy at times, a day spent in the market is not at all stressful. It offers a wide range of products as well as services.

The city market is located at the heart of Baguio at the end of Session Road, Magsaysay Avenue, close to Burnham Park. The adjacent Maharlika Livelihood Center complements the market with its boutiques and specialty shops, antique dealers, money changers, beauty salons, furniture stores, and other establishments. An entry point going to Maharlika can be found at the dry goods section of the market.

Wet Market

The wet goods section of the Baguio City Market offers fresh and processed meats as well as fish and seafood from low lying provinces. The industrial section sells plastics, canvas, nets, and styrofoam. Adjacent to this area, fresh roasted coffee beans are being sold.

The middle section of the market is where you can find fruits and vegetables as well as baskets, bags, brooms, and other woven items. Edible food is sold on the other side. Within the market is an alley where imported products such as shampoos and comforters are being sold. This is known as the “black market” section.

Abanao Section

At the Abanao Road section of the market is the flower and plants section where you can find cut-flowers, make flower arrangements, or design a bridal car.

Marbay, which is the dry goods section of the Baguio City Market, is the tourist attraction of the market. It offers a wide range of handicrafts and souvenir items that makes both the city and country world-renowned. Here you can find oversized wooden spoons and rosaries.

In addition, the dry goods section is home to a wide variety of products from blankets, furniture, surplus military equipment, and many others.

To get to the Baguio City Market, go down from a jeepney and walk to the main entrance located at Magsaysay Road. You can also take the side entrance on Abanao Road or enter at the back through Kayang Street.

If you are taking your car going to Baguio City Market, there is paid parking slots at the top floor of Maharlika Livelihood Center or the cellar of Abanao Square at the back of the market. You can also park on a vacant lot between Abanao Square and Empire Cinema.

If you are carrying a lot of shopping bags with you, there are teenagers who will offer to carry your bags for you for a certain cost. Usually, they will charge P100 per bag.

One of the popular landmarks in Baguio city is the Baguio Cathedral. It is also known as the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral. It is a big church situated on top of the Mount Mary Hill. It can be found at the center of Baguio. The church is colored rose and it has a unique design made of twin spires. It is considered as one of the best structures in the Philippines.

From the cathedral you will have a nice view of the whole Baguio city like the Session Road. From that road you can walk your way towards the cathedral and go up in a stairway with one hundred steps.

Private vehicles can also enter the grounds by taking the route behind the building of the postal office. Another way of entering the cathedral is by walking along Session Road and climbing an escalator at the CICM shopping center and the top level has an exit which leads to the parking area of the church. There is no parking charge when there is a mass but if you exceed more than two hours you will be charged with a minimal payment of twenty pesos. This is only fair because other people tend to leave their vehicles to go to the nearby shops or malls.

History of Baguio Cathedral

The place where the cathedral was built was known as the “Kampo” before. It was named as such by Ibaloi tribe. In 1907 a Belgian missionary group came and built a congregation they called Immaculati Cordis Mariae. They also changed the name from of the place to Mount Mary. The cathedral was built in 1920 and it was finished in 1936. It was later blessed and named the Our Lady of Atonement Church.

During the Second World War the church became an evacuation site. It was able to withstand the several bombings that took place in Baguio city. The people who perished in that war were buried in the church grounds.

The Baguio Cathedral is a huge church that can accommodate a huge mass of up to eight hundred fifty persons. This is possible because they have a second floor and others can stand because the church has loudspeakers. Baguio Cathedral is usually crowded during the weekends and on special days of obligation.

It has also been one of the popular churches where many couples choose to wed. The weddings are held in the afternoons that still give time the bride or groom to polish the other details of their wedding they have to arrange.

Burnham Park is the heart of Baguio City. Burnham is considered as the queen of the parks in Baguio city. Baguio has Burnham Park as Manila has Rizal Park. It can be found on a two-hectare land which is Baguio’s most expensive land. It was named after its architect, Mr. Daniel Burnham. Burnham Park is close to Session Road where most of the commercial establishments can be found. It is also just a few meters away from the market and from the Baguio Cathedral.

Daniel Burnham designed the park in the early nineteen hundreds. He was also the main architect for Baguio city. He created it to give Baguio city a recreational site where visitors and residents can just come and relax. He also added several flowers and trees to make the place green and beautiful. He was also the person who planned the lake that serves as one of the main attractions in the park. Burnham Park has retained most of the original lay-out made by Daniel Burnham.

What to Expect

Today there are some Filipino aspects added to the park like a vibrant area for several activities that people can enjoy. It now has twelve areas namely; man-made lake, playground, Rose Garden, skating rink, Igorot Garden, Orchidarium, Athletic Bowl, picnic grove, Pine Trees of the World, Japanese Peace Tower, Sunshine Park and the Melvin Jones Grandstand. There are some restaurants in the park and a viewing deck as well.

Burnham Park has more visitors during the Holy Week, Christmas time and during the months of summer. Most people go to Burnham to enjoy a picnic with their family or friends. Visitors will also see many children enjoying in the playground. You can also see the beauty of the orchids in the Orchidarium and the different plants in the Sunshine Park. In the center of the park is the lake where people can enjoy a boat ride. Some of the musical concerts in Baguio are usually held in the Melvin Jones Grandstand. Local variety shows have also broadcasted live from Baguio in the grandstand. It is also the field where sports like football and tennis are played. Other activities common in the park are basketball and skating.

During New Year’s Eve Burnham Park is also filled with people because it is one of the places where the countdown happens. Others go to Burnham Park to walk around and take their pictures with the flowers and pine trees. Others like seating in the benches enjoying conversation with their friends. You can also bike around the park.