Baguio Travel

Baguio City is located in the middle of the Luzon, which is the biggest island in the Republic of the Philippines. It is considered as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines" due to its cool mountain weather. It is also called the "City of Pines" because there are many pine trees in the said province. Baguio came from the word "bagiw" an Ibaloi word that means "moss." Ibaloi is one of dialects in Baguio. Due to its high altitude of approximately 1500 meters, the city is conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids.

The City of Baguio is one of the famous tourist destinations in northern part of the Philippines. It used to be a grassy marshland but it was transformed by the Americans in the early 1900s as one of the cleanest and greenest, most highly urbanized cities in the Philippines. Its cool climate, foggy hills, panoramic views and lovely flowers has enticed locals and foreigners alike to experience the beauty of nature in Baguio.

Architect Daniel H. Burnham, an American, developed Baguio as per instructed by the then American Governor Luke E. Wright. The Governor instructed Architect Burnham to develop a plan to construct a health resort for American soldiers and their civilian employees for respite from the sweltering lowland heat. They called the plan, the "Burnham Plan." It altered the original mountainous and rocky place to a beautiful city on top of a mountain.

Baguio City also had its own gold mining industry but the government officials decided to stop the mining industry to preserve Baguio.

To date, Baguio is the city in the Philippines that has the most public parks & pocket gardens with exotic flora and fauna, found nowhere else in the country. Many say that the whole of Baguio is a park where tourists and residents could relax, picnic and enjoy the magnificent beauty of nature close to the clouds. It is a haven for people seeking serenity in the mountains. Staying in Baguio could give peace to your the weary soul.

Simple Baguio Facts:
- Population - 301,926
- Baguio City is about 5,251 square kilometres
- The telephone code in Baguio is 6374
- The timezone in Baguio is PST (UTC+8)
- The major religion in Baguio is Roman Catholic
- The main language in Baguio is Tagalog & English
- The currency in Baguio is Philippine Pesos
- Baguio's electricity voltage is 110V @ 60Hz like that of the USA