"If you build
roads, the road will build you," this is a comment I heard from our Japanese
friends working at the Japan International Cooperative Agency who are helping
us in our cooperative network.
Since the invention of the wheel and
eventually the motor vehicle, roads and bridges have to be constructed for a
faster and easier transport. Both road networks and transport system transformed
commerce and trade.
During the early times in this
cool mountain resort called Kafagway, walking or hiking is a sport and a means
of travel. The natives travel to this place for hunting and use it as their watering
hole. Later on the Ibaloi natives made it as their ranch. This haven known
today as Baguio or Bagiw to the Ibalois which refers to the green mossy plant found
around the plateau and at pine trees is as good as a nature park.
It was in 1982 when a young
American zoologist from Michigan named Dean Conant Worcester, heard about this
wonderful place from one Domingo Sanchez, a member of the Spanish Forestry
Bureau. In July 1900, he led a group of Americans on an expedition to the
Benguet region and that trip resulted to the beginning of Baguio.
The first American explorers found Baguio an ideal site for a future city and summer retreat because of its cool pleasant climate. In November 1900, the Americans established the first civil government in Benguet and Baguio became its capital. One of the problems that the highlanders and the Americans encountered was an access road that will connect them from the lowlands and to the country’s capital, Manila.
Before the Americans came, the highland people who travel to the lowlands to barter their products and get salt or clothe constructed a trail along the mountain sides that could be traversed by animal drawn wagons. The trail will take hours or days to travel going to the lowlands and coming back.
As Baguio grew and developed, roads had to be constructed to pave way for its development. The Americans then saw a possibility of constructing a wagon road through the Bued River canyon following some of the natives trail.
In December 1900, Captain Charles W. Meade, then the City engineer of Manila, was hired to undertake the project. There were many problems encountered during the construction and other technical and experienced people were tapped to help in building the road. N.M. Holmes took over and then Colonel Lyman Kennon was solicited to take charge in supervising the Bued mountain road and to connect it to Manila. By 1905, the road was finished. This Benguet road is now known as the Kennon Road and is one of the Citys tourist attractions aside from the Lion Head and some other attractions to see along the way.
In September 1, 1909, Baguio then became a chartered city. In 1910, the first water supply system for the city was operated. Then in 1911, the first automobile travel from Manila to Baguio via Kennon Road began. In 1919, the first plane landed in Baguio City airport. In 1924, the hydroelectric plant for Baguio became operational and the construction of the Baguio Central School was completed.
By the year
1920, the so called Mountain Trail was to be constructed. The American Commissioners
instructed Engineer Eusebious J. Halsema to survey and make plans for this
mountainous area that could connect Baguio towards the north, the Mt. Province
and to the 8th wonder of the World, the famous Banawe Rice Terraces
and to the Sagada waving tribes. Like the Kennon road construction, the
mountain trail ridges were difficult and dangerous to construct. Aside from
these problems, Engr. Halsema got opposition from the American high officials
regarding its appropriations. However, Engr. Halsema refused to give up and tapped
the Igorot labor that undertook trainings on mucking, drilling, blasting and
explosive specialists at the Balatoc gold mines and move on to work on the
mountain road. He sidelined funding coming from the savings of the Kennon and
Naguilian Highway projects. With tremendous difficulties, lost lives, and hard
work, the 146 kilometer Baguio-Bontoc road was finally completed in 1930. After
World War II, the Mountain Trail Road was renamed Eusebious J. Halsema Highway
in honor of the American engineer instrumental for carving the mountains of the
Cordilleras.
 |
| Construction along the Mountain Trail |
Transportation was one of the necessities that was needed to move people and goods. One transport outfit that was organized in May 1928 encouraged by an American school principal named James Wright was the North Garage now known as the Dangwa Transportation Company. This Igorot transportation was initiated by a graduate student of the La Trinidad Farm School who comes from Kapangan, Benguet. This transportation provided the much needed services that helped transform what is Cordillera today. During the time Baguio was into progress, this transportation company expanded its business with the incorporation of freight trucking that hauled goods from Manila to Baguio and vice versa, to the mining districts, sawmills and farms transporting their needed materials and laborers.
With roads
constructed, people from the lowlands and from the far north migrated to
Baguio. Others came to make business, study, find work or as missionaries and
tourists. Others came to squat, some were brought in by politicians to support
their political campaigns and votes. Even government officials participated in
the squatting of lands around Baguio. Of course the Filipinos would say that
the first squatters were the colonizers. The Ibaloi natives then who had
rancherias and camote plantations of this place overlook or had no access to
the government as to how their ancestral lands should have been given land
titles. As of now, the population of this city now tripled and more people are
coming in causing problems on water supply, housing, pollution, traffic,
environment degradation, congestion, health and many more.
Baguio City seems it is losing its appeal in terms of new investments are concerned. The past surveys of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) of Baguio alongside with its counterpart medium sized cities have steadily been slipping in terms of business competitiveness. The survey showed that Baguio consistently outranked in competitive drivers like dynamism of local economy, cost of doing business, infrastructure, human resources and training, responsiveness of the local government to business needs ant the quality of life.
Transportation was one of the necessities that was needed to move people and goods. One transport outfit that was organized in May 1928 encouraged by an American school principal named James Wright was the North Garage now known as the Dangwa Transportation Company. This Igorot transportation was initiated by a student of the La Trinidad Farm School who comes from Kapangan, Benguet. This transportation provided the much needed services that helped transformed what is Cordillera today. During the time Baguio was into progress, this transportation company expanded its business with the incorporation of freight trucking that hauled goods from Manila to Baguio and vice versa, to the mining districts, sawmills and farms transporting their needed materials and laborers.
With roads constructed, people from the lowlands and from the far north migrated to Baguio. Others came to make business, study, find work or as missionaries and tourists. Others came to squat and some were brought in by politicians to support their political campaigns and votes. Even government officials participated in the squatting of lands around Baguio. Of course the Filipinos would say that the first squatters are the colonizers. The Ibaloi natives then who had rancherias and camote plantations of this place overlook or had no access to the government as to how their ancestral lands should have been given their land titles. As of now, the population of this city now tripled and more people are coming in causing problems on water supply, housing, pollution, traffic, environment degradation, congestion, health and many more.
Baguio City seems it is losing its appeal in terms of new investments are concerned. The past surveys of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) of Baguio alongside with its counterpart medium sized cities have steadily been slipping in terms of business competitiveness. The survey showed that Baguio consistently outranked in competitive drivers like dynamism of local economy, cost of doing business, infrastructure, human resources and training, responsiveness of the local government to business needs ant the quality of life.
For now, Baguio may utilize and define its Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Craft policies like the Investment and Incentive Code, find new growth nodes such as the BLIST expansion concept since the Province of Benguet is willing to be a partner for growth to host the vibrant BPO industry, go to Green investments and Eco conservation for a sustainable tourism industry. ()
Baguio City as of 2011
Burnham Lake
Kennon Road also known as Zigzag Road
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