Baguio City is dubbed as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines”, and this is because of its high altitude location which therefore gives it a very cold and cozy weather, almost all year round. Filipinos and other tourists would visit Baguio City mostly every summer to escape the heat in their own respective hometowns. Back in the day, it was also the favorite vacation spot of American colonial government officials, that’s why a lot of remnants of the American colonial rule can be found here. I had the chance to visit Baguio City, and naturally, my agenda would compose of visits to museums. Baguio is home to several museums, and by the time of my visit, the very beautiful BenCab (Benjamin Cabrera) Museum just opened its doors to the public.
HELLO, THERE, ROOSTER! From my humble homey hotel, I took two jeepney rides to go to BenCab Museum. It could be hard to go to if you don’t know the route and the right public transportation to take. Inside the jeepney are the typical scene of locals checking in their products (usually crops), and look, there’s even a rooster inside our jeepney! Reminded me of the jeepneys in my hometown.WAITING FOR THE OPENING OF THE MUSEUM. I arrived very early (before the 9AM opening) so that I could go around the galleries with less people. But obviously, it was a long weekend/holiday that time, so a lot of people went up to Baguio for a quick getaway, like me. Not complaining, though! But as usual, I’m the loser solo traveler in a swarm of big groups and families (I’m being sarcastic with the ‘loser’ tag, I love being the solo traveler in crowds like this). Manong Security Guard is monitoring the vicinity of the place because the museum is by a National Road.
SABEL. BenCab’s wife’s name is Sabel, and a lot of his artworks are inspired by his wife. This super elegant mural will welcome you as you enter the museum, as if Sabel is welcoming you to their home. What you’re seeing are Sabel’s ‘portraits’ painted in ceramic tiles, and BenCab sells reproductions of these.
SOMETHING COLONIAL. You see, this is one of my weaknesses when visiting museums. For one, I only get to document artworks that moved me (especially if the museums are very big, of course), but I tend to forget to take note of the artist and the title of the artwork. (This is a lesson for next time). What you’re seeing, obviously, is an American flag which has a lot of symbolic things painted on it. There is also an (American) eagle on the top of it.BUL-UL. Whenever you’re anywhere in the Cordillera regions, you will never, ever miss seeing Bul-ul statues. It is also known as Bulul or Tinagtaggu, which were believed to be wood carvings of the ancestors of the people of Cordillera region. They also serve as the Gods protecting the rice crops of the residents in the region. This is very iconic and if there’s one takeaway you can bring home from a trip up to the Cordilleras, it’s your knowledge about the bulul.A MUSEUM WITH SO MUCH NATURE! BenCab Museum has a freaking Nipa Hut in the middle of a duck pond which is very tranquil! The museum complex is so big and upon reaching the back part, you will have a view of this beautiful sight and you can even go down there. Now I know why people love going to BenCab Museum. I mean, look at this view!CAFE SABEL. Cafe Sabel is your Museum Cafe with a very colorful and modern interior. I love museum cafes, they are the most classy ones on earth (even if they serve the most expensive food, I mean sipping coffee inside a museum? Awesome!). I just forgot to take a photo, but their strawberry milkshake is superb! You can’t afford to miss anything with strawberries when in Baguio City, okay? You just can’t.
