Beautiful Philippines: A Handbook of General Information

VIII. Other Cities

Philippine Islands. Commission of Independence

BAGUIO

Baguio Baguio, which is often called the Simla of the Philippines, is classed with even more famous mountain resorts by its admirers. By automobile it is about eight hours’ ride from Manila. By train and passenger trucks combined, it is about eleven hours.

The Baguio Zig-zag coiling upon itself. All the trees are pine trees

The Benguet road is the most traveled route. It leaves the lowlands at Dagupan and now ascends, now crosses and recrosses the gorge of the Bued River, coiling back on itself in the famous Zig-zag, where the inspirations of Baguio’s natural wonders begin. Cooler and cooler grows the air, behind drops all the lowland vegetation, to make room for sturdy trees of the temperate zone. Wave on wave the trees roll up the mountains that stand on each other’s shoulders below, around and above the small tableland on which Baguio edges away from the sheer precipice at the head of the gorge.

For some years a summer capital to which the Government transferred its work and personnel during the hot months, it is a chartered city, but the all-year residents are few, though many of the well-to-do of Manila have summer homes there. It has two hotels and several cottages for visitors.

No one may know the Philippines adequately without visiting this, the temperate beauty spot of the Archipelago. Pure forest-scented air, cooled by lofty peaks and a city that is well laid out representing what is best in the Islands’ civic progress are the outstanding “strands in the fabric of Baguio’s attractions.” Here is a fairyland of green—gardens, beautiful walks, and easily accessible peaks commanding exquisite vistas of valleys and neighboring mountain tops.

The Amphitheater, Baguio, Benguet

Camp John Hay Camp John Hay, the military hospital post, is the main show place, among its beauties being the open air amphitheater that General Bell built with mountaineer labor, terraced as their wonderful rice terraces are, and gay with flowers.

The States? No! It’s Baguio, Philippine Islands. The group of buildings is the Government Center, housing the government offices during the summer months

Other places to see are the Mansion House, the official summer residence of the Governor-General; Bishop Brent’s School for American children and the School for mountain girls; the Constabulary School; the rest houses of the different religious Orders; Mirador, the Observatory, and Mt. Santo Tomas, whence a glorious view may be had over the whole majestic panorama of mountains and valleys to the lowlands and to the China Sea. On horseback or afoot, in Baguio and its immediate environs, just enjoying the air, the roses, the pungent pines, the tree ferns, the fields of Benguet lilies, every day is a delight. But beyond lie more regions that beckon.

Trinidad Valley The strawberries and green peas at Trinidad, where are the Government stock farm and agricultural school, extend an occidental welcome to the visitors. On the mountain train to Bontoc the rest houses with their big open fire places are just like homes in the temperate zone. The great orerich valley of Amburayan lies on one side of the divide; on the other is the Lepanto basin with Cervantes in the cap of the hills. Sagada and Lubuagan are easy of access by side roads and trails, but to reach Tawang and Balbalan means difficult and proportionally interesting and exhilarating going through magnificent forests of cedar, from one rancheria to another. At Banaue are rice terraces nearly a mile in height. Generation after generation has toiled to build them. The mission stations with their schools where the young folks are taught modern trades and perfected in their own handicrafts are heart-warming evidences alike of Christian love and charity and self-sacrifice and grateful appreciation of the mountain peoples and their eagerness to join their brethren of the lowlands in the full light of civilization.

The road to Baguio

Descending on horseback in a westward direction one comes to Butac, and a telephone message will bring an auto to whisk one on the Tagudin, the sea outlet of the Mountain Province, that has a Belgian convent noted for its laces and embroideries. The train or an auto will convey the traveler thence north to the extreme end of Luzon and back down the coast of Manila. The great North Road, that follows the sea most of the way, is a scenic route for its entire length, and along or near it are interesting old towns to visit, such as Laoag, San Fernando, which offer delightful sea bathing, Vigan, Paoay, San Vicente, and Bangui, where the Ilocano weavers, carvers, and potters can be watched at their fascinating tasks.

CEBU

The City of Cebu Cebu, the metropolis of the Visayan Islands, is the oldest European city in the Philippines and one of the oldest occidental settlements in the East. Discovered and temporarily occupied by Magellan in 1521, it became a permanent Spanish possession in 1565, having thus almost exactly the same age as the other Spanish settlement, St. Augustine, in Florida. It is situated about midway of the east coast of the island of the same name. The island itself is practically coextensive with the Province of Cebu, of which the city is the capital. The province has the largest population of any in the Archipelago and is one of the most thickly inhabited. The city has a good harbor, protected by the Island of Mactan, and the scene which unfolds itself from the moment of entering the channel, between this Island and that of Cebu proper is a very busy one. There are good harbor facilities, and seagoing vessels of large draft are able to tie up along the docks.

Cebu is a fascinating mixture of old and new and contains a considerable number of places of special interest. The waterfront is busy with the various activities arising from the city’s position as one of the chief centers of the Islands’ hemp trade. Here is a good opportunity to see the finest grades of this important staple, of which the Philippines have practically a monopoly.

Places of Historic Interest Most of the places of historic interest are within a short distance of this point. Calle Colon, the oldest street in the Islands, is in this city. On the main plaza is a small building housing a large hollow cross. This contains within it another cross, which, according to the most probable story, is the original one erected to mark the spot where Magellan and his companions gathered for the first mass on Philippine soil. But a short distance away is the old triangular Fort San Pedro, standing approximately on the site of Magellan’s fortifications; and in the same neighborhood stands the Augustinian church and convent. Here the sacristan will show to visitors the curious image known as the “Holy Child of Cebu.” It is agreed by historians that this is the one which was given by Magellan in 1521 to the temporarily converted wife of the rajah of Cebu, and recovered forty years later after the landing of Legaspi.

An automobile road through the Province of Cebu gives a pleasing succession of views of the sea through arcades of coconut palms that fringe the long narrow island of Cebu; a second road cuts across its backbone, giving finer views still.

ILOILO

The City of Iloilo The City of Iloilo is the sugar port. It is situated on the east coast of the Island of Panay, along the lower reaches of the river whose name it bears, and is about 300 miles from Manila, in a direction a little east of south. It is one of the most important ports of the Philippines and carries on with Cebu an amiable contest for the dignity of ranking as the second city. It has direct shipping connections with Europe, the Straits Settlements, China, Japan, and Australia; and there are many boats sailing to other portions of the Archipelago, including a regular service to Cebu. There are banking institutions and a number of importing and exporting houses, and the local trade reaches up into high figures. Substantial walls have been built along the river, where large steamers can unload. Ships of greater draft anchor in the harbor, where they are well in shore and protected.

Near it are two towns of considerable historic interest—Jaro and Molo. A railroad runs through the province and its neighbor Capiz, thus making it easy to see a considerable portion of the Island of Panay, which is made up of the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique. There are the white coral cliffs near Ventura, honeycombed with caves, with interesting legends attached to them, as is the case with one having its outlet in Dumalag, Capiz. The stone church at Miagao has the most quaintly carved facade in the Islands. The hand weaving of the delicate textiles jusi, piÑa, and the like is one of the leading industries of Iloilo Province.

ZAMBOANGA

Zamboanga in Mindanao is the capital of the whole Moro Province and one of the most important ports in the Islands. Its population is very cosmopolitan—an admixture of Moros, Filipinos, Orientals, and Caucasians. The city was for more than three centuries the rallying point of the Christian forces in their seemingly endless contest with the Moro pirates in neighboring waters.

The city has a healthful site and is cooler than Manila. It has a modern water system and electric lighting plant. It is well laid out and maintained in park-like order for some distance back from the pier. This area, where many of the principal buildings are, is embellished by fountains and lily basins, ornamental stone and concrete seats and figures and an almost complete collection of the flowering and other ornamental trees, vines, and shrubs of the Philippines. The Provincial Capitol, the Army Post, and Constabulary Headquarters, the old fort of Nuestra SeÑora del Pilar and the Cathedral, and the Moro market are the most interesting to inspect. Nearby is the Moro village of Kawa-Kawa, built out over the water.

The San Ramon Penal Colony In the outskirts there are several points of interest reached by excellent roads—the gorge, which has some beautiful mountain and river scenery, about five miles distant; the San Ramon Penal Colony about thirteen miles from the city where an experimental farm is being maintained. In addition to these attractions its position with respect to Borneo, Australia, the Dutch possessions, and the Malay Peninsula gives it great potential importance as a trade center.

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