Session Road is the main thoroughfare of Baguio City and its commercial

center, with a variety of shops, stores and offices lining each side. Session
Road is so named because it was the site of the Philippine Commission's
first session.
A lovely walk down from Luneta Hill toward the Baguio City Market, Session
Road is where you will find department stores, bazaars, boutiques, old movie
theaters, hotels, cafes and restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores. A
majority of banks operating in the Baguio City are found there, as well as
various offices, drugstores, book stores and news stands.
On Session Road, you will see local residents, and a whole lot of students
from the different Baguio schools and universities, as well as
tourists and visitors to the city taking a leisurely stroll up and downhill,
window shopping, meeting up with friends, snacking on ice cream in cones
bought along storefronts that open up to the sidewalk, or stepping into many
of the restaurants lining the street.
Due to its slope, and the mid-20th century American-town inspired facades,
some Art Deco buildings, and a variety of offerings along the way, Session
Road is a promenade distinct from other commercial centers in cities and
towns in the Philippines. Add to this the terrifically cool Baguio weather and
friendly locals, and a stroll through Session Road is a totally different
experience altogether.
Site of the First Session of the Second Philippine Commission. Session
Road leads up to the old Baden-Powell Hall, where the second Philippine
Commission held its sessions from April 22 to June 11, 1904 and officially
initiated the use of Baguio as the Philippine Summer Capital. A marker by
what is now Baden-Powell Inn on Governor Pack Road, stands as "the only
visible evidence that anything of historical significance ever took place on
Session Road."
The Philippine Commission was the body appointed by the President of the
United States of America to exercise legislative and limited executive powers
during its occupation of the Philippines. The First Philippine Commission was
appointed by President William McKinley in 1899, but it was the Second
Philippine Commission, constituted in 1901, that held its sessions in Baguio
City.
Session Road is divided in two sections: Upper Session Road & Lower
Session Road, although the latter part is that which most visitors are familiar
with because it is the where most commercial establishments are located,
and no one calls it "Lower Session Road" really. We simply call it Session
Road. This part runs from the intersection on Magsaysay Avenue upward
towards Baguio Cathedral (Father Carlu St. on Mt Mary Hill) and Governor
Pack Road while Upper Session Road starts from the Post Office and the
foot of Luneta Hill (where Pines Hotel used to be and which is now SM City
Baguio) all the way to the rotunda of South Drive, Military Cut-off Road and
Loakan Road (where the old Main Gate of Camp John Hay used to be).
The most expensive of all Baguio real estate. We are talking here of the
"primest" of prime property in Baguio City. Due to its central location, the
volume of pedestrian traffic, a limited number of commercial spots for rent
and very few properties being put up for sale in the market, Session Road
real estate commands a pretty steep rate. Folks who want to do business
there usually have to pay the previous occupant what they call "rights,"
usually a fee in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Philippine pesos,
to be able to take over the spot. This fee is on top of the premium rental
rates being charged by lessors.
Starting point of all Baguio parades. In the early years of the Panagbenga,
when it was still organized by the folks connected with Camp John Hay and
the John Jay Poro Point Development Corporation, the Baguio Flower
Festival parades used to start from Upper Session Road, descending
towards Magsaysay Avenue and turning to Harrison Road and ending up at
the Athletic Bowl at Burnham Park. Nowadays, the parades start from the
base of Luneta Hill where crowds, well, "crowd" along the sidewalks, office
windows and balconies to get a glimpse of the festivities. Session Road is
favored for parades due to its slope affording spectators a fabulous view of
the streetdancers, bands and floats.
The most direct route to anywhere in Baguio City. Session Road's central
location is what causes it to be most congested with motor vehicles and
pedestrians because it connects to major roads like Leonard Wood (all the

way up to Mines View Park passing through major Baguio tourist attractions),
Loakan Road leading toward the Camp John Hay Main Gate, and
Magsaysay Avenue (Baguio City Market all the way to La Trinidad Valley).
Session Road runs perpendicular to Harrison Road (Burnham Park) and has
several side roads leading to that other major avenue.
Session Road is Part of Radial Road 9 also the main thoroughfare of Baguio
City and is the main hub of what is called the Baguio Central Business
District. Located at the city center, it is actually divided into two parts:
Lower Session Road, extending eastward from Magsaysay Avenue
(opposite the Plaza or Kilometer 0 and Malcolm Square) running through the
BCBD until the intersections of Father Carlu Street (towards the Baguio
Cathedral and Upper Bonifacio Street) and Governor Pack Road. This is the
area where businesses are located, among others banks, shops,
restaurants, bakeries, hotels, newsstands, boutiques, and studios.
Upper Session Road, extending from Post Office Loop, Leonard Wood
Road, and the foot of Luneta Hill (where SM City Baguio is located) to the
rotunda cutting toward South Drive (towards Baguio Country Club), Loakan
Road (towards Camp John Hay, Loakan Airport, Philippine Military Academy,
Baguio City Economic Zone, and the mine areas of Itogon, Benguet), and
Military Cut-Off (towards Kennon Road)
Session Road derives its name from the fact that it used to lead up to the old
Baden-Powell Hall, where the first Philippine Commission held its sessions
from April 22 to June 11, 1904 and officially initiated the use of Baguio as the
Philippine Summer Capital. The Commission was composed of Governor
General Luke E. Wright, president, and Commissioners Henry Ide, Den C.
Worcester, T. Padre Tavera, Benito Legarda, Jose de Luzuriaga, James
Smith and William Cameron Forbes. A marker by what is now Baden-Powell
Inn, right beside the enormous bus terminals on Governor Pack Road, stand
as the only visible evidence that anything of historical significance ever took
place on Session Road.
Nowadays, the only session that regularly take place in the vicinity are the
jam sessions at Ayuyang, a favorite watering hole of reggae, folk, and
indigenous Filipino music fans and artists alike. A local Philippine band called
sessiOnroad based their name on the famous thoroughfare.
Session Road is the main thoroughfare of the city and the center of Baguio's
commercial establishment. This is where you will find department stores,
banks, movie houses, and bazaars. There are also some hotels, bakeries,
restaurants, newspaper stands, bookstores, boutiques, cafes, and studios
along Session Road.
Local residents, students in the different schools and universities in the city
and visitors alike spend most of their free time just going up and down
Session Road. It is a place to go window shopping, looking at people, or just
taking a leisurely walk during a cool and quite afternoon or evening. Visitors
should take note that residents of Baguio City are predominantly Catholics
and when the Angelus (a Catholic devotion in honor of Annunciation and
Incarnation) is supposed to be recited in the evening at 6:00 o'clock, a loud
continuous siren is heard all over the city to remind everyone about it.
Session Road - If you only have a day to spend in Baguio, start your tour
with a walk down Session Road. The city's commercial artery, Session Road
showcases curio shops and fashion boutiques. It also features an interesting
array of culinary delights. Restaurant specializing in Chinese, Italian,
American, Japanese, and Mongolian can be readily found along Session
Road.
SESSION ROAD
The main road of the city, it is one of the pioneer main vehicular artery of the
city which now comprises the main business district of this mountain resort.
At the foot of Session Road across the ever popular Baguio City Public
Market is the Malcolm Square dedicated to the memory of George Malcolm,
one of the founding fathers of Baguio City. Atop Session Road on the left
side is the very historical Baguio Cathedral while on the right side is the
Luneta Hill now occupied by a big modern shopping mall where the old Pines
Hotel , an illustrious landmark of Baguio City used to stand.