Return Call Part 2: Baguio, Benguet

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my previous post, Return Call Part 1. All the positive comments were overwhelmingly sweet & encouraging.

For this second installment of my Return Call blog series, I revisited one of my favorite cities in the Philippines: Baguio, located in the province of Benguet in the Cordilleras region of the north. 

Baguio is one of my dream cities I'd love to live in someday if I could. The art scene is booming, the city is full of life, the weather & scenery are just gorgeous. While my family is from a coastal region of the north, the mountains always resonated with me more than the ocean does, which is why I think Baguio appeals to me more than our hometown. But, also not saying I don't love La Union either. ;)

Anyways, here's some places we got to visit this time around. We were there just for a day trip, but got to fit in activities I've always wanted to cross off my bucket list.

These photos were taken on my Nikon ZF, exported low-res versions to my mobile phone using the Nikon SnapBridge app, then lightly edited through the Photos app on my iPhone.

View this post from a computer for the full experience. Click an image below to enlarge.

Feel free to leave a nice comment & share your thoughts. 🥰

W A R N I N G! Below are images of traditional artworks that portray sexual activities & body parts. Scroll cautiously if you are viewing at work or school. I am not responsible for you getting fired or kicked out of school!

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Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of the Atonement

Not much to say about this one, but you all know how much I love examining church architecture, art & iconography.

This cathedral once acted as an evacuation center during WWII, & was one of the few buildings in the city that survived carpet bombing by the US military.

Because there was a mass happening inside when we visited the church, I was unable to explore the interior. However, the crucifix outside, leading up to the steps of the church, was probably my fav feature.

Ili Likha Artists' Village

This is a space I just found out about recently through a friend. Created by Philippine national artist Kidlat Tahimik, Ili Likha is an art center with several sculptures and installations throughout the space, a theatre, multiple eateries & souvenir shops with plenty of handmade gifts & goodies.

You can learn more about them through their Facebook or Instagram pages.

Heads up for those of you who use wheelchairs or struggle with stairs — The space is situated inside of an old building with multiple floors & levels that are not handicap accessible. 😔

​For my cancer crab ladies. ;)

Loved the gorgeous mosaics found throughout the building, especially along this stairwell. 

Playing sungka! Or some of you may know this game as mancala.

Oh My Gulay!

Oh My Gulay is a vegetarian/vegan artist cafe also created by Kidlat Tahimik & his family. Gulay is Tagalog for vegetables. 🍆 OMG has been on my bucket list for years & I'm glad I finally got to make it! This restaurant not only has installations and architecture similar to those at Ili Likha, but it also houses a small art gallery for emerging artists, as well as more art displays throughout.

OMG is located on a penthouse top floor. If I remember correctly, you need to climb around 5 flights of stairs, but the view is breathtaking once you finally get to the top. Because of how old the building is, this is another location that is sadly not handicap accessible or friendly for wheelchair users. :( Even my senior mom, who is in fairly descent shape for her age, was struggling to get to the top floor. I hope someday, by some miracle, a lift is built to help bring customers to the top to enjoy the view & this gem of a dining establishment. It's unlike any other restaurant I've been to & I'd love for everyone to be able to access & enjoy it!

You can learn more about Oh My Gulay & the Victor Oteyza Community Art Space (VOCAS Gallery) on their Facebook pages. Sorry to anyone who doesn't use FB — I, personally, don't use it either!

Check out Nona Garcia's collection of hyper-realistic paintings in her solo exhibition After Artists at the VOCAS Gallery located inside Oh My Gulay. The paintings were so realistic, I thought they were photographs upon first glance, until I got closer and realised they were paintings. ​Definitely check them out in-person if you happen to be passing through Baguio while the exhibition is still up.

BenCab Museum

The BenCab Museum is also another landmark in Baguio that has been on my bucket list for years. It seemed that the coolest places to visit in Baguio were all located quite far from the city center. That being said, I couldn't visit them all, & decided to visit the BenCab Museum for this short trip.

I would love to return again someday for the full experience. Unfortunately, because it was rainy that day, we couldn't check out the whole BenCab Museum campus, which also features Mr. BenCab's organic farm & garden.

Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, AKA BenCab, is also another National Artist of the Philippines. The museum contains displays of his own artworks, as well as rotating exhibitions & works from his permanent collection.

Imelda Cajipe-Endaya is a Filipina artist whose work I adore & have always wanted to see in-person. I didn't know what to expect when visiting the museum, but it was a real treat being surprised & getting to see her work in real life. (Right on the right image above)

End of the day... Back at the bus terminal.

It was a long day. I do not recommend taking the bus or driving to Baguio on a weekend day. What is usually a 1.5 trip on the bus ended up taking 3 hours each way! Definitely go on a weekday, leave early, or plan to spend a night or weekend if you do go on a weekend day.

During this trip, we also visited a weaving art shop called Narda's, but I didn't take any photos of it, haha. Next time, some more places I'd love to visit in Baguio include Tam-awan Village, Valley of Colors, Easter Weaving, Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto (if you know me, you know I LOVE The Grotto in Portland — It's one of my fav places on this planet), Baguio Night Market, Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Baguio Botanical Garden, & a couple cafes around the city.

If you fancy it, here's a Google Map I created of places I've visited in the past, during this trip, & the places I would still like to visit in Baguio. Feel free to save the map for your future reference!

Feel free to leave a nice comment & share your thoughts. 🥰