Baguio City Facts & Worksheets

Baguio City is the most populous city in the Philippines, and due to its cool climate, compared to other places in the archipelago, it is nicknamed the country’s “Summer Capital” and a famous destination for tourists in the summer, whether local or foreign.

See the fact file below for more information on Baguio City or alternatively, you can download our 29-page Baguio City worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Quick Overview

• Baguio City is the regional center of the Cordillera Administrative Region on the island of Luzon, considered the country’s least populous region.
• It is situated in Benguet, one of the provinces in the region, but since it became a charter city in 1909, it has been administered independently from the rest of the province.
• Baguio is labeled legally as a “Highly Urbanized City” according to the Local Government Code of 1991 which signifies that its population count is at least 200,000 and that its annual income is at least P50,000,000.
• Apart from being known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio is also named the “City of Pines” because of the prevalence of pine trees.

Etymology

• Baguio City used to be known as Kafagway to its indigenous inhabitants composed of the Kankanaey and Ibaloi tribes. According to the accounts of the locals of the city, the name Baguio was a result of how the American colonizers pronounced the Ibaloi word bagiw, which refers to moss found in the area. However, other sources state that baguio was how the Spaniards spelled the term during the Spanish occupation.

Historical Background

• Before the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Baguio was characterized by forests that served as homes for different kinds
  of wildlife.
• Indigenous ethnic groups living in the area, such as the Ibalois and Igorots, lived by hunting.
• When the Spanish colonizers arrived in the Philippines, they had difficulty conquering the area of Baguio as it was well-defended by the Igorots.
• In 1846, the Spaniards eventually succeeded and built a comandancia or military garrison in La Trinidad, the capital of Benguet province. The name of the municipality is said to derive from the wife of the Spanish commander who conquered the area.
• During the American occupation, Baguio became attractive as the American colonizers appreciated the cool climate, which made it a desirable site for them to go to during the summer heat. Baguio was thus dubbed by the Americans the summer capital of the islands.
• Many substantial developments in Baguio are attributed to the arrival of the Americans in the country, some of which will be discussed here.
• In 1903, Kennon Road – the road connecting Baguio to La Union in the Ilocos Region – was constructed. The project involved around 2,300 workers, mostly Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, and American nationals. Its construction resulted in the deaths of several workers. On January 29, 1905, the road was officially opened for travel.
• On October 25 of the same year, a piece of land in Benguet was made into a military base for the armed forces of the United States after President Theodore Roosevelt signed a presidential order. This old military reservation became known as Camp John Hay.
• In 1904, the development plan for the city was consigned to American urban designer and architect Daniel H. Burnham upon commission by American Governor Luke E. Wright. The plan was intended to address the needs of the Americans as a place where they could unwind and rest from the heat experienced on the lowlands. 
• During his tour of Baguio, Burnham assessed the area and identified where several establishments could be built. Resembling American cities, the resulting design of the indigenous land is characterized by Western influences inspired by the City Beautiful movement.
• Five years later, on September 1, 1909, Baguio gained its status as a chartered city. Hence, September 1, 1989, was proclaimed Baguio Charter Day, making it a non-working holiday in the city to commemorate its charter anniversary.
• Some decades later, Baguio City became embroiled in World War II. On December 8, 1941, the first Japanese aerial raid took place in Baguio, with Camp John Hay as the target. It was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army and turned into a military base.
• On September 3, 1945, General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army surrendered formally at Camp John Hay, which brought the war to an end.
• On July 16, 1990, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Luzon causing massive damage to Baguio, including landslides on main roads, the destruction of several buildings, and numerous deaths and casualties. The city eventually recovered with the efforts of the national government and help from foreign donors.

Geography

• The land area of Baguio City is 57.51 square kilometers (22.2
  square miles).
• In terms of its elevation, the city is estimated to be 1,445.3 meters (4,740.7 feet) above sea level, the highest among the other major cities in the Philippines.
• Baguio City is made up of 129 barangays in total. According to the official government website, these barangays are distributed over twenty districts.
• The city is considered landlocked within Benguet, meaning it is surrounded by land. In particular, it is bound by the municipalities of La Trinidad on the North, Tuba on the South and West, and Itogon on the East. 
• Baguio is also close to many cities in Region I or Ilocos Region. Some of these are San Carlos and Dagupan in Pangasinan, and San Fernando in La Union.
• It is 205.77 kilometers (127.86 miles) away from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.

Climate

• The climate is classified as a tropical monsoon climate but is almost close to a subtropical highland climate, according to the Köppen climate classification.
• During the rainy season, which takes place between June and October, Baguio is said to have the highest volume of precipitation.
• Usually the temperature in the city is 8°C lower than that in lowland areas by virtue of its high elevation. On average, the temperature in Baguio can be as low as 15°C and hardly goes beyond 26°C even during the country’s dry season, making the city a desirable place for Filipinos from warmer areas.
• On January 18, 1961, Baguio recorded its lowest temperature at 6.3°C. On the other hand, its highest recorded temperature was 30.4°C on March 15, 1988.

Landmarks

• One of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines is Baguio City, especially for domestic tourism. Tourism is one of the city’s primary industries due to the number of tourists that visit for vacations during holidays, particularly in the summer. The top destinations in Baguio include the following:
• Burnham Park is a public park named after its designer, Daniel Burnham. This 32-hectare park can be found along Jose Abad Santos Drive and is notable for the man-made lake at its center. Apart from this, visitors can also explore the other attractions in the park, such as a playground, an orchid garden, and a smaller park dedicated to the Igorot tribes.
• Kennon Road is a main roadway in Benguet that leads to Baguio, spanning 33.534km (20.837 mi). A statue of a lion’s head, popular among tourists, sits on a boundary along the road and has become a symbol for Baguio City. It is called Lion’s Head and has a height of 12m (40 ft).
• Previously a U.S. military base, Camp John Hay has become one of the most well-known tourist attractions in Baguio. A resort for tourists, Camp John Hay brims with vacation houses and hotels including other commercial establishments such as a golf course and shopping center.
• The Mansion, located along C.P. Romulo Drive, used to be the summer palace of the American Governors-General during American colonization. It is now the official summer residence of the Philippine President. It houses a museum, open to the public, where presidential artifacts are kept. Tourists in Baguio often visit the site to take pictures.

Other Facts

• For the whole month of February every year, a flower festival known as Panagbenga Festival highlights the flowers in the city and provides inspiration to residents after the earthquake in 1990. The most lively activities such as street dancing and parades happen near the end of the month-long celebration.
• Home to some of the best higher education institutions in Northern Luzon, Baguio is recognized as the “Educational Hub of the North.” 

Baguio City Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Baguio City across 29 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Baguio City which is the most populous city in the Philippines.

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Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

• Baguio City Facts
• Visualizing Baguio
• Baguio Crossword
• Metro Baguio
• Back to Baguio’s Past
• Planning a Trip to Baguio
• Beauty of Baguio
• A Poem for Baguio
• Baguio Brochure
• Comparison of Capitals
• Second Site for Summer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Baguio City known for?

Baguio City, also called the country’s summer capital gets a huge number of tourists, especially during the summer season. Due to its high elevation, Baguio City is known for its year-round cool weather.

What makes Baguio beautiful?

Because of the cool weather, Baguio has a beautiful pine-dominated landscape. The city’s history of being a go-to place for foreigners needing some relief from the heat of the city meant there are now traces and structure from early Spanish, American, and Japanese occupations. In addition, it is still currently home to the descendants of the indigenous people who has lived there for hundreds of years. This means there is a thriving, native culture in the city.

Who were the indigenous people of Baguio City?

In the time before colonization of the Philippines, Baguio was a vast forest that served as home to hunter-gatherer indigenous people, the Ibalois and Igorots.

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