The New & Improved Baguio?

Two weekends ago we visited a foreign city honoring more American soldiers than any city I’ve visited in America. That is to say, more than Seattle and the surrounding cities at least. Being in Southeast Asia specifically Philippines, the place of my birth, I had certain memories about daily life that have always been facts to me. First, the sheer magnitude of the population is overwhelming, especially pedestrian traffic. If you need to walk across the street like from SM North to Trinoma Mall, you’ll literally pass by the entire population of Seattle, WA before finally reaching the entrance to Trinoma. Second, the homeless population, the amount of people living in poverty, and the very real image of what poverty looks like in the Philippines is and always has been a rude awakening for me, being accustomed to life in my mom’s house. Lastly the vibrant culture here from what I remember as a child, is filled with street vendors selling everything from food to printers. (Just yesterday our group was in Chinatown and there was a man selling an HP printer right on the street) The point of my reflection this week is American influence on the Philippines.

Almost a hundred years has passed since the first plan of creating Baguio into “an example of civilized perfection in the middle of a savage overseas outpost”, was conjured up by the American architect Daniel Burnham. Presently a park is named after the man behind the plan “Burnham Park”. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see it up close. Being in Baguio even for a short amount of time I experienced the great change in climate, and scenery, but the overall feel remains the same as any metro area in the Philippines, crowded.

There are American style homes built of wood and logs infesting the wealthy areas of Baguio acting as remnants of the time of American colonialism. A spot I very much enjoyed was Camp John Hay. Once a strong military outpost reserved for American military officers, high ranking officials, and the few elite (wealthy) Filipinos, it has been reduced to a tourist attraction where you can pay 800 pesos to go zip lining through the pine forests of Camp John Hay.

Reading “Baguio Graffiti” and seeing the places Santiago Bose wrote about in this article was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The only remaining structures he spoke about are Camp John Hay and the markets where his mom sold local trinkets to tourists. The market surely has changed since then but I’m wondering if the atmosphere remains the same.

A Portion of the Baguio Market that sells small tourist items (2011)

Santiago Bose wrote that when he was a kid living in Baguio his mom owned a small shop where indigenous tribes would provide the goods to sell to tourists. Everything sold in local markets during that time period was made either by the indigenous people or the locals that owned the shops.

Hand-carved sculpture of an Ibaloy woman (2011)

Nowadays I can’t say with certainty where those little trinkets are made. Some of my group gave insightful possibilities such as China, which is so easy to believe because virtually everything is made in China these days.

Inside Camp John Hay there stood a miniature statue of liberty. There was also a Starbucks, wooden houses that have been there since the second construction of the camp, and the best attraction was the “Tree Top Adventures” where they throw you back and forth 80-120 feet above the ground.

Aside from Camp John Hay we also visited Mines View, the local shopping central for all your tourist needs. For about 10 pesos a person we were able to wear Ibaloy traditional clothing and pose for pictures. It was awesome. It was also an exploitation of a culture that we as tourists participate in.

(2011)

(2011)

One of the most unfortunate tragedies to come from the colonization of the Philippines is the desecration and complete elimination of a people’s traditional culture and lifestyle. The imposition of American policies on traditional Ibaloy systems was the catalyst for the gradual decline and later complete abolition of the way things were for the people indigenous to Baguio.

Until recently I have never heard of Ibaloy, but when we were offered to wear the clothing and pose for pictures that’s when I remembered the article by Alcantra “Baguio Between Two Wars”. In it Alcantra makes connections between the rise of U.S. Imperialistic policies and the decline of the Ibaloy lifestyle. For example, land ownership, which was set in a complex system by the Ibaloy people, suddenly required land registration according to American policies. When this was enacted very few Ibaloy people registered, and in turn lost their right to their lands.

This is beginning to sound a lot more like a paper than an actual blog so I’ll make one last comment on American influence in the Philippines. It has eroded away distinct cultures belonging to the Ibaloy, Igurot, Ifugao, etc. etc. Such distinct cultures only remain in bits and pieces and can never be fully retrieved. The world has changed and continues to change. American influence and those that have followed in its footsteps will continue to alter the culture of the Philippines for generations to come. Baguio is a prime example of a people that once was a thriving community turned to nothing more than an attraction.