BURNHAM PARK


Burnham Park, a haven of beauty and quiet in Baguio

Burnham Park is a large park in Baguio City and it features an artificial boating lake in the center.

The park is located right in the middle of Baguio City, and is named after Daniel H Burnham, the American architect and town planner who laid out Baguio.

It has an orchidarium, a rose garden, a terrace restaurant, a children's playground, bicycle lanes, and areas for basketball and other sports.

There are boats to hire on the lake, and tricycles may be rented for the children.

Burnham Park is a great place to wander and watch the people of Baguio at play.

                                                             MINES VIEW PARK



The view from the lookout at Mines View Park

Mines View Park is located on a promontary of land about 4 km from downtown Baguio.

Standing on a small observation deck in Mines View Park, the tourist has a spectacular view of the nearby valley and mountains and over the gold and copper mines formerly operated there by the Benguet Corporation.

From the car park and its souvenir shops, the observation deck can be reached by following a winding stone-constructed stairway. Sometimes the stairway can get a bit slippery in Baguio's damp weather -- so take care!

Since the main attraction of Mines View Park is the view of the nearby mountains, there are people hiring out binoculars so you can get a better view. The cost is only a few pesos for 5 or 10 minutes.

If you get a sunshiny day, take the opportunity to quickly get some photos of the views from Mines View Park -- for the odds are that one of Baguio's mists or fogs may soon sweep in and obscure the view.

                                                                 CAMP JOHN HAY



This former rest and recreation facility of the U.S. Armed Forces is older than the city itself. For almost the whole of
the 20th century it is what made Baguio City in the Philippines "Little America."

In 1903 Camp John Hay was designed as the rest & recreational facility for the US Military and Department of Defense in the Far East. This U.S. base, which was named after U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of State, was used by the Japanese as a concentration camp for American and British soldiers during WWII.

It was also used as their military headquarters when General Yamashita moved up north from Manila towards the end of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines.

This 690-hectare property was finally turned over to the Philippines 1991 upon the expiration of the R.P.-U.S. Bases Agreement. From 1991 to 1997, Filipinos ran the former U.S.

                                                            BOTANICAL GARDEN



The 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.

                                                                 THE MANSION



The Mansion is located on the eastern part of the city along the Leonard Wood Road and right across from Wright Park. It was built in 1908 for U.S. governor-generals and was destroyed in 1945 during the battle for the liberation of the Philippines.

The Philippine government later rebuilt and improved the structure in 1947 and since then it has been used by various Philippine presidents whenever they come up to Baguio for their official visits and engagements. The Mansion served as the seat of the Second Session of Economic Commission of Asia and the Far East in 1947. It has also been the site of first meeting of the South East Asia Union which was popularly known as the Baguio Conference of 1950 which was conceived and convened by President Elpidio Quirino.

The elaborate main gate of the Mansion is said to be a replica of that at Buckingham Palace in London. Vehicles entering the compound pass through a great circular driveway and it is usually open only when the Mansion is used for an official function or activity. With its beautiful gardens and a well-manicured lawn, it is a favorite site for sightseeing and picture taking.