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Baguio City: The City of Pines
Baguio City is known for its year-round cool weather, making it a favorite destination of Filipinos seeking to escape the lowland heat. It is also the commercial, cultural, and administrative center of the Cordillera Autonomous Region, with numerous malls, schools, and government offices. Baguio City is the gateway to the rest of the Luzon highlands, attracting thousands of visitors each year to its tropical pine forests and hill stations.
From Grassland to Summer Capital
During the Spanish colonial era, the area occupied by present-day Baguio City was a grassland owned and occupied by the native Ibaloi people. When the Americans arrived, they selected Baguio as the summer capital of the Philippines. One future U.S. President once wrote that the weather reminded him of the mountains of his home state. Further development was spurred by the completion of Kennon Road, connecting Baguio with Pangasinan and La Union provinces.
Unlike most Philippine cities, Baguio City was actually a planned community. The famed architect Daniel Burnham, following the City Beautiful movement, started laying out the budding hill town, setting aside areas for commerce, industry, recreation, and residences. Tourists, both American and Filipino, started flocking to the hill town for a quick retreat each summer. Soon, religious orders, the national government, and private individuals alike started building educational institutions in Baguio City, such as Saint Louis University, the University of Baguio, and the Philippine Military Academy.
Baguio City is now a bustling hilltop city with a wide array of commercial and industrial establishments, including shopping malls, BPOs, schools, and small enterprises. It is considered the economic center of Northern Luzon, and with a permanent population of more than 345,000 people, is also one of the largest urban centers.
Buying a House in Baguio City
Much of Baguio City is composed of residential areas, with many residential subdivisions built within city limits and near the outskirts of the city. These subdivisions offer access to recreational facilities such as golf courses, shopping malls, and clubhouses. House prices in Baguio City range from P2 million for a 40-square meter house along Sto. Tomas Road to P45 million for a 5-bedroom mansion in Gibraltar Road. Whether you are planning to settle permanently or wish to rent out your house to transients, a Baguio house is always a wise investment.
