Daily Archives: 22 February, 2024

Igorot Stone Kingdom (Baguio City, Benguet)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Igorot Stone Kingdom

The 6,000 sq. m. Igorot Stone Kingdom is a man-made theme and amusement park, surrounded by tall trees, built on a mountainside, by owners Engr. Pio (also known as Ama Bag-owan) and Haiji Velasco, to showcase the indigenous culture of Cordilleras, as well as the practices, traditions, values and way of life of its people.

The author at the entrance

The newest and one of the most popular attractions in Baguio City, it is based on the legend of Sab-angan which is believed to be an Igorot Kingdom, ruled by King Alapo Baguwan, that once existed thousands of years ago.

His concept for the man-made kingdom was an “Igorot child’s castle fantasies, his childhood in Mountain Province, and a caring God and family culture brought by the Igorot’s skill of stone laying.  The stone park was also built as a tribute Velasco’s strong and patient Igorot mom, Rita C. “Rosing” Gal-Velasco (1928-2012) who taught her five children patience and strength.

Jandy seated on the King’s Throne

The attraction, though built for tourism purposes, is also a place to learn about the rich culture of the Igorot people.  Described as a “cultural revolution,” it aims to correct the misconceptions about Igorots by showing people that the Igorots are civilized and culturally advanced, and that they take pride in their skills and heritage.

Igorot Golden Bridge

Construction of the Igorot Stone Kingdom began on March 15, 2020 and it formally opened to public in May of 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming viral in social media. However, last November 9, 2022, the site was closed due to permit and safety reasons. It only reopened again this April 3, 2023 in time for Holy Week.

Igorot Gold Mine

Temple of Kabunyan

The highlight of Igorot Stone Kingdom is the stone walls, inspired by the ladder-like layout of the rice terraces of Batad in Banaue, that were built in in traditional riprap (locally called kabite) where stones or boulders are interlocked together to form a wall. Traditionally, a riprap does not involved the use of cement but for purposes of reinforcement, cement are put on top.

The White Carabao

The Igorot Stone Kingdom features different towers and monuments such as the:

  • Fertility Tower
  • Tower of the Igorot God Kabunyan
  • Tower of Gatan and Bangan – depicts their fantasy story of how this Igorot man and woman survived the great holocaust.
  • White Carabao Monument – according to Pio, this was the exact location where he had a sighting (on March 1, 2020) of a white carabao (In Igorot culture, it symbolizes good luck and prosperity) which he took as a sign to build the Stone Kingdom.
  • Igorot Gold Mine
  • Igorot Golden Bridge – a steel bridge
  • Bangan’s Dome
  • Igorot Heroes Hall – houses life-size statues of prominent Igorots.
  • King’s Throne
  • King’s CR
  • Wishing Well

Nacagang Plaza

Sabangan Plaza

There were also modern-day castles made of cement and hollow blocks, among others, all showcasing the talent and skills of the Igorot. What captured our attention was the beautiful layers of stone-formed castle structure resembling rice terraces which, from a birds-eye view, the place looks like a ruin of an old Roman castle. For photo-ops, you can rent Igorot costumes.

Bangyol’s Point

It also looks like a maze, with its concentric stone corridors, which lets you roam around and admire every nook and cranny of the entire castle. There are just so many things to see and discover in this attraction that are all picture-worthy.

The King’s CR

There’s also a coffee shop (King’s Coffee Shop), a fastfood area (Ina Rita’s Food Court), toilets and view decks.  Still a work in progress, you can expect the park to add more attractions including life-sized statues of prominent Igorots as it completes its construction.

Wishing Well

Igorot Stone Kingdom: 362 Long-Long Benguet Rd., Brgy. Pinsao Proper, Baguio City, Benguet. Mobile number: (0945) 311-2286. Open daily, 6 AM to 6PM. Admission: Php 100 (adults) and Php80 (kids). Toddlers 3 years old and below can enter free of charge. Discounts are offered for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD).

How to Get There: Located 5 kms. from the Central Business District, you can ride a jeep bound for Tacay-Longlong in Otek St. You may also ride a taxi from CBD, which may cost you at least Php 175.  The park is 500 m. from Tam-awan Village.

Baguio Convention and Cultural Center (Benguet)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Baguio Convention and Cultural Center

Originally built as the Baguio Convention Center (BCC), this facility, sitting on a 10,000 sq. m. lot, with over 3,000 sq. m. building footprint, was established for the holding of conventions, gatherings, and other big events in the city.

Designed in the Brutalist architectural style by Architect Jorge Y. Ramos, it was inaugurated on July 17, 1978 by the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos during the opening of the World Chess Tournament championship series between Russian grandmaster Anatoly Karpov and Russian defector Victor Korchnoi.    From 2017 to 2020, it was renovated to provide a better venue for cultural and creative endeavors and, in 2022, it was renamed as the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center (BCCC).

Entrance portico with their four huge columns with halipan ((rat guard) motif

Situated across the University of the Philippines College Baguio and flanked by the summer courthouses of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, it exudes an ethnic flavor, with its pyramidal roof and huge concrete posts, resembling a traditional Ifugao bale with its halipan (rat guard) on its four posts at the entrance.  Considered the most spacious edifice North of Manila, it continues to cater to conferences, conventions, meetings, and other social functions in the city.

Jandy at the entrance

It boasts a large, pillar-less main hall, equipped with high-definition audio-visual equipment, that can accommodate more than 2,000 persons (500 on each side), making it ideal for conferences, exhibitions, trade shows and conventions.

The lobby with its two murals

It also has several function rooms for meetings, break-out sessions and other smaller events.   The center is also the venue for the Baguio Arts Festival, housing a permanent exhibit hall where local artists may have their works displayed and showcased. The basement also houses the city’s command center.

The center’s main hall

Two murals, an interconnected diptych with a red string running through it, were painted by local Baguio artists Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera (National Artist for the Visual Arts in 2006), Leonard Aguinaldo, Roland Bay-an, Kawayan de Guia, Venazir Marinez and John Frank Subido.  Based on the quincentennial of the arrival of the Europeans in the Philippines, both are permanently displayed at the lobby.

Seating area

Baguio Convention and Cultural Center: Governor Pack Rd., 2600 Baguio City.  Tel:  (074) 446 2009. Mobile number: (0928) 193-7336. E-mail: baguiocc2022@gmail.com.