FOOTNOTES ON BAGUIO’S HISTORY

In the annals of Spanish history covering its rule in the

Philippines, it is revealed that the Spanish government organized
“Commandacias Politico Militar” in this region and for almost 200
years, the Spanish Commandates governed the Igorottes. The
Spaniards gave them their first step towards civilization and
nationalization, built churches and schools, introduced coffee
planting, cattle raising made trails and undertook to vaccinate
the people. In spite of this, the mountain people were not
contented with this kind of government due to exorbitant taxation,
forced labor, confiscatory gifts upon them. In 1846 Commandante
Guillermo Galvey after over 45 exploratory expeditions,
established his Commandancia at La Trinidad (named after his wife)
went to establish the province of Benguet with thirty Rancherias.
The first Kapitan of Benguet was Publito of old Kafagway (now
Baguio), a minor Rancheria of about 20 scattered houses.
During the last decades of the Spanish government
missionaries and Dominican orders established missions in most of
this commandancias and these were connected by trails of mountain
horse roads. The Filipino Revolutionists invaded Benguet, and all
the top Spanish officials of Benguet, together with governor Bejar
and the Spanish priest fled to Bontoc. After some months of
struggle between the revolutionists and the Spanish troops, the
latter surrendered to the former. Immediately upon the cessation
of hostilities, the local provincial governments were restored
under the regime of the erstwhile Philippines Republic and Ora
(Juan Carino) was mad the Philippines public’s governor of Benguet.
The revolutionist who had been in allies with the Americans after
defeating the Spaniards, rose against their former allies for
failure on the parts.

La Trinidad in 1890. Shown above are the Spanish officers escorting some Igorot prisoners
to the La Trinidad presidencia.
ORIGINS OF BAGUIO’S NAME
There are quite a number of versions as to the origin of
Baguio’s name. as per Quirante’s report on his expedition to the
gold mines of “Antamok” in 1624, Baguio was often referred to as
Kapagwag, meaning stem or grassy clearings. It was not more than
a lonesome rancheria sprinkled with handful of dwellings and whose
lone attraction was a tribuna or council house in the center.

Another version which seems believable is that the name Baguio

was adopted from the word “Bah-giw” which in Benguet dialects means
moss and from Inibaloy term “bagyu” which derived from a submerged
slimy water plant termed to the tagalog as “lumot”. The name was
given to the watery place of the Kisad Valley. When the Spaniards
came to this place where there was nothing but swamps and forests,
a few native huts and a bare hillside of pastureland for cattle,
they baptized the place as “Baguio” which is a general term used
in the Archipelago to mean typhoon. The Spaniard did not, however,
fixed the “Bah-giw” boundary. It was not until the coming of the
Americans that the Baguio boundary was specified. Among the ares
included within the mapped boundary were, namely, Pidoan (country
club), Orengao (Teacher’s Camp), Kafagway (City Hall), Imadayong
(Brent School), Apni (Carino Subdivision), Minac (Burnham Park),
Cavaljureza (Constabulary Hill), Campeo (Session Road), and
Oligueg (Rock Quarry).

The Spanish Commission for a sanitarium is marked with a cross

BAGUIO CITY PLAN – DANIEL HURSON BURNHAM
The present plan of the city of Baguio dates back to the
memorable visitor, D. H. Burnham, the great landscape architect
who in December 1904, with Pierce Anderson travelled by the Stage
Line which had been inaugurated from Dagupan through Pangasinan to
the Bued River. At camp 4 all passengers had to take the horses
and follow a new trail which zig-zagged up the mountain-side, on
an extremely steep grade, where it was often necessary to walk,
leading the horses. The trail reached the high levels at a place
called Loakan, from which points seven miles of delightfully cool
riding on easy grades brought one into the site of the future
Baguio. The design and construction of public buildings for all
branches of the government brought under the consulting architect
and the bureau of public works, and have so continued, since 1913,
according to Mr. Forbes. Secretary Taft gave his personal attention
to the planning of the cities of Baguio and Manila, and it was
through his good offices that the services of the eminent and
patriotic architect, Daniel H. Burnham, of Chicago were secured.

Mr. Burnham was recognized as the world’s foremost expert in

remodeling of the cities at this time, and was a thoroughly
practical man. His valuable services were offered without
renumeration of any kind. He accepted merely his travelling
expenses and the salary of one assistant.

Together
with William
Cameron
Forbes in
1905, he
roamed the
pineclad
mountains and
happily
dreamed of a
city to be.
Gradually,
Baguio has
grown through
his dexterous
design. To
his Plan, the
present
layout of
Baguio owes much, and the people, in gratitude have named its
principal park and recreation ground after him.
 Session Road in 1912, as seen
The Baguio Country club in 1909 by the camera of F. T. Ryan.
was already a fixture where the Among the structures, from
early pioneers gathered at left to right are the V.A.P.
free moments for a round of Hall, later used as Post-
golf, originally three holes, office; prison camp, Sly’s
some tennis or trap shooting. bar, store And lodging house;
The clubhouse was a rude, the Nagatomi studio, Valles
grass-roofed shed made of pine building, the Wagner and
slubs. Its doors and windows Cuidno Carantes residences,
were openings which could not and Lam Ping’s store. In the
be closed. It was erected in foreground is the Burnham
about a week. Lagoon, with the first
building on the Baguio
Printing site at the right.

One of the first constructed

cottages.

Construction of Session Road

The Pines Hotel in 1907
Construction of Abanao Street

The Pre-war Government Center

buildings used by the
University of the Philippines
summer institute.

The Dog Market at Burnham

Park in 1908

Among the first buildings

constructed along the market A Baseball game at Burnham
in 1918 Park in 1918

The Session Road in 1921

The Government Center

The city of Baguio
 Burnham Lake, 1912 (U.S. National
Archives)
A view of the newly enclosed
lagoon and the early business
district from Hilltop with Abanao
St. in the foreground and Kisad
Rd. in the background.

Race Track, 1914

A Race track along the perimeter
of the lake was inaugurated on
Dec. 25, 1914. The judges’
platform at the southern end of
the track later became the site
of the city auditorium.

Golf Course under construction,

1919
A nine-hole municipal gold
course was open to the public
for minimal fees.
1923 Baguio Carnival and Exposition. Spearheaded by the Baguio
Civic League, this 1923 event was the biggest of all the
carnivals held at Burnham Park.

2003 Baguio Carnival. Burnham Park looking east from the rooftop
of West Burnham Place.