Session Rd, 20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
Malcolm Square cowboy, Plaza, Baguio. 20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
Malcolm Square, 20 January 2012@KatPalasi
In early January 2012, as I carefully scrolled down and sifted through the chaos of my Facebook network, I took note of someone’s post about SM Baguio (a mall chain in the Philippines) and its plan to cut down pinetrees in order to put up a parking lot. Then as more information came in, I befriended Dr Michael Bengwayan on Facebook, so that I could keep track of the issue. He started the petition protesting the cutting down of the trees. Thus began my involvement with this protest action. On the evening of their first scheduled rally , I took a midnight bus to Baguio from Manila. I brought my cameras, digital recorder and tripod. I came as a multimedia storyteller but mostly I came because I was affected by what was happening. It was time to take a stand for the city where I was born and raised.
As soon as I arrived in Baguio, I took a cab and brought my things to my sister’s house. After coffee and some chitchat, we went to town. I wanted to be early to see what Baguio’s reaction would be to this protest. I had a quick lunch with my sisters at Volante and then with my digital gear, I strolled down to the People’s Park which used to be called Malcolm Square. It was a beautiful bright day. The skies were awesomely blue. Baguio’s oldtimers were at the Plaza wearing their cowboy hats and boots while some wore jackets. Many just wore clean shirts and sturdy shoes. That’s Baguio fashion as I remember it. Shoes always had to be sturdy and dependable because one might have to walk some distance when in Baguio. I listened in to their conversation and watched the old guy massaging a client as some others waited their turn. I asked one of them what he thought of SM cutting down pinetrees. He said,” as a humble Igorot, I wish they will not cut the trees but what can we do if they own the lot and if they have a permit and they have been allowed”. Then he added that people need the trees to absorb the dirty air, the pollution. I walked on to check the stage to ask the guys there if they knew where the protest march was going to start. Oh my. Turns out, I knew both of the musicians there. One was my friend Marie’s son Ethan Andrew and the other was Karlo. Yeah. Local musicians/artists. One other guy told me to walk up to the post office area because that’s where they will begin the march. 
Baguio artists showing a bent and burdened Cordillera, 20 January 2012.@KatPalasi
Dr. Michael Bengwayan, Exec. Dir. of Pine Tree, leads the march which began at NBI building and then down Session Road. 20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
Session Road, 20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
Students, NGO workers, concerned citizens, kids, political parties, the religious, artists, Igorots, guests from Manila and elsewhere, people who love Baguio-they all came. It is amazing what one can do when people are stirred by common concerns and issues.
Malcolm Square, 20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
Session Road,20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
Malcolm Square, 20 January 2012 @KatPalasi
The march was pretty successful. It gathered everyone at the Malcolm Square/People’s park and speeches were said. People like Dr Bengwayan, businessman and local resident Chris Arvisu, ex-Mayor Yaranon, student leaders, and people’s orgs representatives spoke about fighting the big giant SM and going back to the roots and heritage of the Cordilleras. It was a merging of people from all sorts of political, religious persuasions. That isn’t bad at all. Later that day, as the rally wound down, I asked Dr. Bengwayan if he was surprised about the response to his Facebook call. He laughed and said yes. He thought that maybe about ten of his relatives would show up at the rally. We all laughed but I think he too knew that social media would be a good tool for the issue at hand. And it has been. I hope it will continue to bring about change for Baguio. Former Baguio residents and those who ocassionaly come to visit their relatives in the Philippines are also responding from here and abroad. I could tell from people’s family names if they were from the highlands or were long time residenst of Baguio. It doesnt matter now if they are not original settlers of Baguio. It matters that they care about the future of the city.
My sister and I were reminiscing about Baguio and about growing up there when it was still a quiet town in the 60s and the 70s. She thinks that Baguio could be called a “transient” city. It is where people come and live for a while and then they leave. And that could be true. But then Baguio always leaves a good memory for all,doesnt it? But I got struck by what she said via sms later when I was on my way back to Manila. She said that if I make a blog post about the protest action, I should use the title “End of Innocence”. It made me smile wryly. Many of us locals who grew up in Baguio have watched on the sidelights while changes came to Baguio that erased our childhood memories forever. Session Rd is now so crowded its almost like Quiapo, Dainty is gone, the Cathedral grounds host some commercial stores, Maharlika is dirty and suspicious characters hang out there,etc. There are many other things that make Baguio unattractive, a stranger to us who remember it at a different time and era. But now is the time to take down the blinders and take a stand for Baguio. Well, we probably wont be able to make Dainty come back or make Session Road look like it used to , a part of the city where we all called out with familiarity to each other as we went up and down that stretch. But maybe we can bring it back to being clean, walkable again, less polluted, thriving with local businesses. Maybe we can make Burnham Park as attractive to us locals again and to city visitors. And can the PNP keep away the “mandurukot” and the hold up gangs? For sure, we can do so much for the city if we care enough.
I’m keeping track of this Protest movement and see what I can do to help. Its exciting, full of hope, challenging too.
KCP
