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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Jewel in the Crown

Jewel in the Crown

Published May 30, 2026 12:05 am  |  Updated May 29, 2026 05:37 pm
MEDIUM RARE
Three seasons in one day. Where in the world?
Right here, Baguio City, where mountains are kissed by clouds and moonlight is silvery white no matter how warm or cool the night. Spring, summer, autumn, anyone?
The surge in fuel prices that kept away tourists from the lowlands now a thing of the past even when there has been no price rollback, the truth is simply this: Who can stay away from Baguio for long?
We three travelers arrived three days ago with no expectations, neither agenda nor itinerary except a collective wish to recharge and have a good time, and we were not wrong.
The ground temperature hovering between 25 and 17 Celsius, we needed nothing more than an extra layer provided by a cotton or rayon jacket for day or night, though bedtime was sweet with thick pillows and a blanket, just one.
Going out of Baguio Country Club where we were billeted, it was sweater weather, if you like, though ‘twas also the season for denim jackets.
When you’re in Baguio, time stands still just as it can as easily rush by without warning. Last Thursday, late in the afternoon, the number of arrivals from the lowlands began showing signs of picking up after a precipitous drop brought on by high fuel prices. High prices don’t come down automatically, but in time, people learn to get used to them, and that’s the trick.
Just as Baguio wears the crown of the Cordilleras, BCC is its brightest jewel. With more welcome and welcoming spaces to come. For example, a newly opened flower shop and a handsome spa that has been attracting people who imagine a full-body massage is the answer to stress. (After spending a full hour there, it felt like I had been given a new body, legs and arms.)
Coming up in the near future: an aesthetic and diagnostic treatment center and the Fairways and Greens Residences (which reminded me of how Potenciano “Nanoy” Ilusorio once landed a brand-new French helicopter, painted red with black trimmings, in the middle of his beloved golf course!).
Baguio, where mountains and trees are kissed and misted by clouds, is God’s gift to our beautiful tropical islands! I cannot help telling myself, even if foolishly: Who needs Switzerland?

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JULLIE DAZA MEDIUM RARE
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