Baguio: News Stirrings 0
There is something in Baguio that rouses it to turn up something new and bounce back to the scene. It is a quality that is lately but timely appearing just when the city needs perking up.
What is new in Baguio today is that the local artists have joined the scene.
BenCab Museum, named after the late nationally prominent Baguio painter Ben Cabrera, is housed in a modern building at Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadlangan, Tuba village. For a Php 100 admission fee, you can view a wide collection of the indigenous Cordillera arts and crafts—and BenCab’s impressive works of erotica! The cafeteria, Café Sabel, offers up-to-standards native and continental meals. There is a Woodcarvers’ Village down the road which can be toured for a Php 100 admissions.
There is also a hillside artist colony called Tam-awan (“observation post”) Village, which has an art gallery, a coffee shop, an outdoor trail, and economical but authentic tribal huts for accommodations. It sits right across Arko ni Apo (“Arch of the Venerable Old Man”), an art gallery-workshop owned by sculptor Ben Hur Villanueva.
Tam-awan Village got its name from a promontory where guests can view the South China Sea and the surrounding Cordillera mountains. Just direct the taxi to Pinsao village proper. Or catch a Tam-awan-bound jeepney behind the city market or under the flyover bridge. Hut lodging costs Php 600 per person or Php 2,500 for a group of 10. Toilet, however, is common. However, guests can bring or cook their own meals.
In the city, lodgings with full amenities can be had at La Brea Inn at the Lower Session Road for Php 1,100 a night. Or at Microtel Inn & Suites Hotel at Upper Session Road with breakfast for two and free unlimited coffee in the morning. For time-sharing lodgings, inquire at Afineplace.com.
At mealtime, try Café by the Ruins, which has a quaint interior and good food. A popular snack bar is the 50′s Diner. A cheeseburger, as big as a saucer plate, with French Fries to go cost Php 100. For a touch of old Baguio, sample Chinese cuisine at the Rose Bowl Restaurant and Star Café.
For dinner, Gilingan Restaurant at Legarda Road offers asian cuisines and serves tasty pasta with live music entertainment. Kubo Grill is known for its broiled native dishes with a live band on stage.
The abundance of fresh produce in Baguio will keep any foodie happy. And OMG (“Oh My Gulay/Vegetable!”), a vegetarian’s restaurant, finally put this long untested idea to work. Located at La Azotea Building at Session Road, the place is ran by another artist, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik (Silent Lightning). His imagination is all over the interior design. The place is sectionally constructed like movie sets. Here, a wooden stairway leads to an imaginary house. There, a narrow wooden bridge arches over a pond. Each section invites an exploration—all running along a Filipino deconstructivist leitmotif.
OMG is a must-see in itself.
A floor below OMG, Session Bar features folk music nightly. Padi’s Point, a popular hub, is a good place for a night’s relaxing drink.
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