Category Archives: Benguet

Philippine Military Academy – Relics Point (Baguio City, Benguet)

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Our first stopover at the Philippine Military Academy was at Relics Point, a favorite for military hardware lovers including me.  Here, you can see and touch (and actually ride) the real McCoy as on display are actual U.S. and U.K-made armored tracked or wheeled vehicles and U.S., French, Dutch and Japanese-made howitzers and mortars.

Me beside an Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle
The U.S.-made Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV) weighted 13,687 kgs. (30,175 lbs.), had a fuel tank capacity of 416 lieters ADF (diesel) and was armed with 25 mm. Oerlikon KBA B02 auto cannon as primary armament and a 7.62 mm. co-axial machine gun as secondary armament.
 
Landing Vehicle Tracked 4 (LVT)
The amphibious, U.S.-made Landing Vehicle Tracked 4 (LVT), used during World War II, was armed with a 7.62 mm. machine gun and can be loaded by a jeep or a 105 mm. howitzer.  It had a maximum speed of 32 kms./hr. on land and 12 kms./hr. on water.  Here in the country, it was used by the Philippine Marines.
 
V-150
The U.S.-made V-150 had a battle weight of 9,000 kgs. (24,000 lbs.), a ground clearance of 64.7 cms. (25.5 inches) and a fuel tank capacity of 300 liters ADF.  It was armed with a 50 cal. M2 heavy barrel machine gun as primary armament and a 7.62 mm. co-axial M240 machine gun as secondary armament.
 
Sherman M-4A1 Medium Tank
The U.S.-made Sherman M-4A1 Medium Tank, developed during the early part of World War II, was built in large numbers and was extensively deployed in the Pacific and European theater.
 
M-7 Self-Propelled Howitzer
The U.S.-made M-7 Self-Propelled Howitzer saw extensive service during World War II with the Allied forces, from the Battle of El Alamein onwards.  Nicknamed the “Priest,” its gun had a range of 11,160 m.
 
Simba Light Combat Vehicle
The U.K.-made Simba Light Combat Vehicle  had a battle CBT weight of between 9.9 to 11.2 tons, a hull ground clearance of 0.45 m. (1.5 ft.), an axle ground clearance of 0.33 m. and a fuel tank capacity of 296 liters ADF.  It was armed with one 50 cal. QCB machine gun.
 
Jandy trying out the 40 mm. Bofors
The Dutch-made 40 mm. Bofors was the most widely-used ant-aircraft gun of World War II.  Both Allied and Axis forces used license-built and captured guns of this type.
 
75 mm. Mountain Gun
The Japanese-made, pre-World War II (1934), Type 94 75 mm. mountain gun, light and for rugged use, was suitable for fighting in mountainous country.
 
12.2 mm. Light Field Howitzer
The French-made 12.2 mm. Light Field Howitzer, introduced in 1909, was used in World War II.  It had a maximum range of 7,500 m..
 
105 mm. L3A1 Melara Howitzer

The U.S.-made 105 mm. L3A1 Malara Howitzer, of Italian design, was adopted by the American in 1939 and used to ward off the Japanese in 1941.

105 mm. M101 A1 Howitzer

The U.S.-made 105 mm. M101 A1 Howitzer was one of the most successful guns ever produced.  Between 1940-1953, 10,202 were produced and supplied to 46 national armies.  Firing at a rate of 8 rounds per minute, it had a maximum range of 11,200 m..

105 mm. M2 Howitzer

The U.S.-made 105 mm. M2 Howitzer, an improved version of the M1 howitzer, had a lower caliber but with a higher degree of accuracy.  It was later replaced by M2A1 which improved its stabilizers.

105 mm. M3 Howitzer
The U.S.-made 105 mm. M3 Howitzer, a variant of the M2 howitzer, has a shorter barrel built for shorter ranges (9,500 m. maximum).  This artillery was used by the Americans during the Lingayen landing.
 
120 mm. M120 Mortar

The U.S.-made 120 mm. M120 mortar, the largest mortar in the U.S. arsenal, was used during World War II against the Japanese.  It had a maximum range of 7,240 m..  Although this was used to fire chemical ammunition, it was also used high-explosive (HE) rounds.

The Aircraft Park
Continuing on our way, we passed the Shaku, the PMA’s landmark feathered parade cap, and stopped again at Melchor Hall.  In front of the hall is an aircraft park, this time with a display of 3 aircraft – U.S.-made, Vietnam War vintage Bell UH-1H helicopter and a F-8H Crusader fighter and an Italian-made Aermachhi SF-260M (S1A1) Marchetti military trainer.  
 
Bell UH-1H Helicopter
The Bell UH-1H general purpose helicopter had a 1,400-HP AVCO turbo shaft engine, a maximum level cruising speed of 110 knots, a sea level rate of climb of 1,600 ft./min., a ceiling service of 12,600 ft. and a hovering ceiling OGE (of ground effect) of 13,600 ft.
 
F-8H Crusader Fighter

The F-8H Crusader fighter has variable incidence wings, all-weather radar autopilot, a sophisticated weapons delivery system and can be equipped with various weapons such as air-to-air missiles, rockets, 20 mm. cannons, M-60 machine guns and 500-lb. bombs.

SF-260 M (S1A1)

The 7.1 m. long Aermacchi SF-260 M(S1A1), a basic military trainer first used for flying training, was further modified to load 250-lb. bombs and MA-3 rocket launchers and deployed in combat operations to conduct close air support to ground operations.   It had a maximum level speed of 180 knots and had a range, with max fuel, of 890 nautical miles (1,630 kms./1,025 miles).

Fort Del Pilar: Loakan Rd., Baguio City, Benguet

A Visit to the West Point of the Philippines (Baguio City, Benguet)

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One of the proudest moment in my life was when my daughter Cheska passed the written entrance exam for the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), one of 800 applicants who passed (out of 5,000) who took the exam at Philippine Normal University.  The PMA began accepting female cadets just 15 years ago,  in 1993.  She didn’t push through with this, though, opting instead to enter the University of Sto. Tomas and take up Medical Technology.    It begs the question “What makes this school attractive to so many applicants and different to other schools?”  Well for one, the life of a PMA cadet revolves around strict adherence to the Cadet Honor Code (“We, the cadets do not lie, cheat, steal nor tolerate among us those who do among us”).  It is a must for all cadets, not only to know the code, but also to practice and make it a way of life.  Second, its rigid and unique, 4-year curriculum and training regimen is challenging; good for the tough, well motivated and gifted individual; bringing out the best to those who successfully hurdle it.   

Fort Del Pilar Gate

I have been to Baguio City countless number of times but not once have I visited this academy located some 10 kms. from downtown Baguio.  That is, until lately.  My past visits to the Summer Capital of the Philippines have been by family car or public transportation.  This time I brought my own Toyota Revo, traveling with my son Jandy and United Tourist Promotions (UTP)  friends Mr. Bernard Gonzales and Mr. Rodel “Pogs” Rivas who were on assignment at Baguio.  Too bad Cheska couldn’t join us.  We stayed at the Albergo de Ferroca Hotel, near Wright Park and the Mansion House.From the hotel, the PMA is just a 5-km. drive to its entrance.  Past it  is the equestrian statue of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, the “Hero of Tirad Pass,” after whom the fort is named.

Shaku, the PMA’s landmark

This training school for future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines traces its history back to the Academia Militar which was established by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Antonio Luna on October 25, 1898 at Malolos in Bulacan.  Most of its faculty members were former members of the Spanish Guardia Civil and its first superintendent was mestizo Capt. Manuel B. Sityar.  In February 1899, the academy was forced to close down  upon the outbreak of the Philippine-American War.

Melchor Hall

On February 17, 1905, during the American regime, an Officer’s School of the Philippine Constabulary was established at Sta. Lucia Barracks, within Manila’s Intramuros walls. On September 1,1908,  this school was relocated to Baguio, on the site known as Constabulary Hill, later renamed Camp Henry T. Allen in honor of the first chief of the Philippine Constabulary. On September 8, 1926, the school was renamed the Philippine Constabulary Academy, by virtue of Philippine Legislature Act No. 3496 and, later, the Philippine Military Academy in 1936.  In June that same year, the academy was transferred to Teachers Camp where it remained until World War II broke out. After the war, on May 5, 1947, the academy was reopened at Camp Henry T. Allen but, due to its increasing need for wider grounds, it was soon moved to its present location at Fort Del Pilar in Loakan. 

Fort Del Pilar: Loakan Rd., Baguio City, Benguet

Camp John Hay Museum (Baguio City, Benguet)

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Camp Hohn Hay Museum

The Camp John Hay Museum, opened on October 25, 2003, was formerly the Bell House, named after U.S. Maj.-Gen. J. Franklin Bell, the commander of the Philippine Division in 1911 to 1914.

Bell transformed Camp John Hay from a small convalescent facility into a major military resort. Initially built as the vacation home of the Commanding General, it exemplifies American Colonial architecture and lifestyle.

Living Room

The grand piano

Part of the Camp John Hay Historical Core, today this one-storey houses is the repository of artifacts and other indoor exhibits. Its interiors, consisting of 3 spacious bedrooms, a living room, dining room and kitchen, are tastefully decorated with period furniture showcasing the traditional American country style typical of old American homes. Each room has its own fireplace.

Dining Room

Master Bedroom

At the entrance are twin brass seals that used to adorn Camp John Hay’s main gate. The living room, complete with a  grand piano, displays a portrait of John Milton Hay (after whom the camp was named). Various images on the walls narrate Camp John Hay’s history.  A library can also be found at right side of the house.

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

The front porch has a scaled model of Camp John Hay. Here, one can look down into the Bell Amphitheater.   Along with the amphitheater, the house is now declared as a historic landmark.

Hallway

Front Porch

Camp John Hay Museum: Camp John Hay, Baguio City, Benguet. Admission (for Historical Core): PhP60 (standard), PhP40 (Baguio residents) and PhP30 (senior citizens/students). Open daily, 9 AM – 5 PM.  Visitors are not allowed to sit on the furniture, smoke or take food inside. Tel: (074) 444-8981. (Camp John Hay Management Corp. Office)

How to Get There: The best way to get there is via a taxi from Baguio CBD/Session Road.  Jeepneys are not allowed to enter.

SM City Baguio (Baguio City, Benguet)

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From the hotel, Bernard and Rodel hitched a ride with us to SM City Baguio where they had some business to attend to.  This being our first visit to the mall, we decided to hang around the place.  With a floor area of 107,841 sq. m. (1,160,790 sq. ft.), this enclosed shopping mall, the largest in the Cordillera Region, was opened on November 21, 2003.  Situated on top of Session Road, overlooking historic Burnham Park and opposite Baguio’s City Hall, it sits on an 80,000 sq. m. (860,000 sq. ft.) land once occupied by  Pines Hotel, the grand, old landmark which burned down in 1973 (killing 4 firefighters).  
 
SM City Baguio
On thing I noticed with this 6-storey (including basement parking) mall is that it doesn’t have an airconditioning system (with Baguio’s cool climate, it doesn’t need one) and makes use of natural lighting (some stores are roofed with translucent white fiber, enabling sunlight to illuminate the interior on a clear sunny day).  Being the biggest mall and one of the biggest buildings in the city, this cruise ship-patterned mall houses more stores (300+ including 15 anchor stores), entertainment centers and shops than any other mall located in the city.
 
The veranda of the mall
At its veranda, we had a good view of some of the city’s main tourist attractions (Burnham Park & Lake, the City Hall, the Athletic Bowl, Session Road) as well as towering pine trees and beautiful lush gardens.
 
The mall’s atrium lobby
SM City Baguio: Luneta Hill, Upper Session Rd. cor. Gov. Pack Rd., Baguio City, Benguet. Tel: (074) 619-7838 to 43.

The Road to Sagada (Mountain Province)

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From Baguio City, we left for Sagada around 9:30 AM, Tuesday, April 7, on board an ordinary Lizardo Transit bus from the Dangwa Tranco terminal, off  Magsaysay Ave..  Once outside Baguio City, my mobile phone became useless.   The 151-km. trip from Baguio City to Sagada passes through the spectacular 146-km. Halsema (named  after Engr. Eusebius Julius Halsema, American civil engineer and mayor of Baguio City, 1920-36) Mountain Highway. It was originally a foot trail used by mountain folk and was improved and widened by the Americans. The highest highway system in the country, it was formerly called the “Mountain Trail” and it links La Trinidad and Baguio City with Bontoc.  It took more than 15 years to build and was finished in 1936.

View of dried up rice terraces

The trip took all of 7 hrs. (including stops for lunch and snacks) as we cut through mountain peaks, gorges and  steep cliffs, cross deep ravines and skirted dangerous slopes.  It could have been shorter but more than half of the drive was over rough, dusty and unpaved roads.  Jandy had a case of biyahilo (travel dizziness) and threw up.  Some sections were so narrow that only one vehicle could pass at a time. A narrow section over one treacherous gorge was simply breathtaking (but I was afraid to look out the window).   It was the peak of the El Nino phenomena and a number of the terraces were dry.  Smoke from some small forest fires could also be seen in the distance. Still the drive was scenic all the way as we passed through some of the most spectacular mountain vistas found anywhere. We also passed the highest point of all Philippine highways  – at Km. 50 near Bayangan,  2,225 m. above sea level.  Here, where the road crosses 2,450-m. high Mt. Paoay, we had good views  of Mt. Pulog, Kabayan, Atok and the Agno Valley.  Too bad we didn’t  stop.   

Crystal Caves (Baguio City, Benguet)

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During the Holy Week break, I decided to bring Jandy to Sagada and Banaue.  However, to get to Sagada, we had to go via Baguio City as there is no direct route there, by public transportation, from Manila.  That being the case, I decided to stay 2 nights in the city before leaving for Sagada. We took the very early 7 AM Victory Liner bus for Baguio City and arrived there by 1:30 PM.  From the bus terminal, we took a taxi to the city proper and booked ourselves at the AJ Pension House.  Once settled in, we had a late lunch at a Chowking outlet.  As it was already late in the afternoon, I decided to just bring Jandy to the Crystal Caves,   located 5 kms. from the city center, off the Palispis-Aspiras Highway.  We got there via jeepney.  
 
Inside Crystal Cave
I remembered visiting Crystal Caves with my Dad and brother Frank when I was still young. Back then, I was impressed by the firefly-like, crystalline rock the cave was named for.  These interconnected caverns, found on the northern foot of Mt. Sto. Tomas, are believed to be an old Igorot burial site just like the nearby Timbac Caves.  At the cave entrance, we were swamped by natives offering their services as guides.  I got a couple of guides with some torches and flashlights.
 
Traversing the cave from end to end wasn’t difficult as it was horizontal all the way.  I was quite disappointed with what I saw inside.  The cave has now been stripped by robbers of its stalactites, stalagmites and precious crystals which were sold to tourists.  The cave survived World War II bombings and the 1990 earthquake but it is slowly dying or irretrievably dead from all  this looting.  The high cave ceiling, blackened from the soot of torches, only had a couple of resident bats.  Worst, there seems to no conservation effort to save what’s left of the cave.
 
Disappointed at this turn of events, we returned to the city proper, had dinner at Star Cafe and returned to our inn.
 
Crystal Caves: Crystal Cave Rd., Baguio City, Benguet.  
 
How to Get There:  Take a jeepney at the cor. of Otek and Chanum Sts. to Palispis-Aspiras Highway.  Visit only during the dry season (May to November).  

Burnham Park (Baguio City, Benguet)

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The next day, after breakfast at the hotel, Grace and I took the jeepney to Burnham Park.  It being our last day in the city, we didn’t want to leave without having visited the park. This centrally located and thickly-wooded park, named after Daniel H. Burnham, the American architect and urban planner who planned Baguio, is the city’s foremost and oldest park which forms the heart of the city.   

Burnham Park

Grace and I particularly liked its focal point, the romantic, photogenic and man-made Burnham Lake.  The lake was formerly a natural spring which drained northward to the foot of Session Rd. to join with the Balili River in La Trinidad.  Grace, a lover of flowers, also visited the orchidarium with its various flowers and orchids on display and for sale.  Also within the park are restaurants, a children’s playground, flower-punctuated walks, parade ground, and sports and recreational facilities (skating, biking, football, etc.).

Grace at Burnham Lake
Burnham Park: Baguio City, Benguet

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Atonement (Baguio City, Benguet)

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The next day, Grace was feeling better after the previous day’s morning sickness, so we decided to do some sightseeing at the city proper by dropping at the hilltop, twin-towered Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, more commonly known among tourists and locals alike as the Baguio Cathedral.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement

The cathedral has an attractive pink facade with a rose window and twin square bell towers with pyramidal roofs.  Its grounds contain the graves of bombing victims killed during World War II. This cathedral was built by the CICM missionaries and was first opened to the public on November 25, 1900 (Feast of Christ the King).  

Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement: Assumption Road,  Baguio City, Benguet.  Tel: (074) 442-4256.

How to Get There: Access is near the post office, the 100 stone steps from Session Road or from St. Louis University.  

Hyatt Terraces Hotel (Baguio City, Benguet)

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Grace and I were now into our third month in our marriage with Grace in her second month of pregnancy (with our son Jandy).  For a break, we decided to avail of a Rajah Tour 3-day/2-night travel package (PhP1,991) to Baguio City which included accommodation at the Hyatt Terraces Hotel,  the city’s only 5-star hotel.  

Grace posing beside the Hyatt Terraces Hotel
Breakfast inside Suite 711
View of city from our balcony

Here, we stayed in at Suite 711, one of the 303-room hotel’s  220 de luxe rooms, all with with bath, TV and private balconies.  The hotel also has 4 duplex penthouses, 40 executive suites with fireplaces and kitchens, and 50 executive suites with kitchenettes.  There are also 3 specialty restaurants (Copper Grill, Kaili Cafe/Restaurant), 2 bars,  a disco (Gold Mine), casino and convention facilities for 220 persons.  

Dinner while being serenaded at the Copper Grill

Located on a pine tree-clad hill along South Drive, near Camp John Hay, the Hyatt Terraces Hotel, said to be the grandest hotel outside Metro Manila, is an architectural showcase of primitive mountain art and contemporary Western design.  Its magnificent and picturesque atrium lobby, best viewed from its interior scenic elevator, is decorated with colorful, handwoven tapestries and refreshing greenery.  

Kaili Cafe Restaurant at atrium lobby

At 4:26 PM, on July 16, 1990, a little over 4 years after our stay, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Luzon, killing 1,621 people.  In Baguio City, 28 buildings collapsed during the earthquake.  One of the most prominent buildings destroyed was the Hyatt Terraces Hotel when the central wing’s terraced front collapsed, like an accordion, onto the hotel lobby, killing 98 employees and guests.

However, 3 hotel employees were still pulled out alive after international rescue teams had abandoned the site, convinced that there were no more survivors.  Eleven days after the earthquake, Luisa Mallorca and Arnel Calabia were extricated from the rubble while, 3 days later, cook Pedrito Dy was also recovered.  All 3 survived by drinking their own urine while, in Dy’s case, he also drank rain water.  Dy’s 14-day ordeal was cited as a world record for entombment under rubble.  Today, all that remains in the site, still undeveloped and said to be haunted, is its old fountain.  

On the day of the earthquake, it just so happen that I was again in Baguio  City, together with my son Jandy, my cancer-stricken father, my mother, sisters Tellie and Salve, my brother Frank  with his wife Cherry and children Jaja, Sandy and Gelo, and my Aunt Pacita with her children Myron and Randy.  We all stayed in a home of Tellie’s friend and left the city just before lunch.  I remember feeling so bad for not being allowed to stay longer in the city.  We all felt the earthquake upon arrival at our home.  Had they given in to my request and we had stayed longer in the city, we might have been trapped there or, worst, buried in a landslide along Kennon Road.