Current Time in Baguio, Philippines

Baguio stands high in the Cordillera Central of northern Luzon in the Philippines, at about fifteen hundred metres above sea level, roughly two hundred and fifty kilometres north of Manila. Built across pine-covered ridges and steep valleys, it enjoys temperatures far cooler than the lowlands, and the scent of Benguet pine and the mist that rolls through the streets have earned it the title of summer capital of the Philippines.

Around three hundred and seventy thousand people live in the city, which swells enormously with visitors during the hot months and holiday weekends. Tourism is central to the economy, along with education, government administration, business process outsourcing and a large electronics export zone. The surrounding province of Benguet is the vegetable garden of the country, supplying lowland markets with cabbage, carrots and strawberries grown on terraced hillsides, and Baguio is where that trade is organised.

The Ibaloi and Kankanaey peoples lived and mined gold in these mountains long before outsiders arrived. Spanish influence was limited, but after the American occupation of the Philippines at the start of the twentieth century the colonial government sought a cool retreat and commissioned the architect Daniel Burnham to design a hill station. His plan of parks, curving roads and civic buildings shaped the city that was chartered in 1909. Baguio suffered devastating destruction in 1945 during the battle for northern Luzon, and again in the earthquake of 1990, which destroyed hotels and buildings and killed many people. Each time it was rebuilt, and it has grown far beyond its planned size.

Burnham Park, with its boating lake, gardens and bicycles for hire, remains the heart of the city, and Session Road is its main street of shops, cafés and bookstores. Mines View Park looks out over a spectacular valley of old gold and copper workings, and the Mansion serves as the official summer residence of the president. The BenCab Museum, founded by a leading Filipino painter, combines contemporary art with Cordillera tribal carvings in a beautiful setting, and Tam-awan Village recreates traditional Ifugao houses as an artists' community. Camp John Hay, once an American rest facility, offers forest trails and golf, and the public market is famous for woven cloth, silver, wood carvings and highland coffee.

Baguio has been recognised by UNESCO as a creative city of crafts and folk art, reflecting the strength of Cordillera weaving, carving, tattooing and silverwork alongside a lively contemporary arts scene. The Panagbenga flower festival each February fills the streets with floats, marching bands and street dancing for a month. The Philippine Military Academy and a cluster of large universities give the city an intensely student atmosphere and a reputation as the educational centre of northern Luzon.

Winding mountain roads and expressways connect Baguio with Manila in around five hours, and buses run day and night, with jeepneys and taxis on the steep local streets.

Baguio is beloved for its cool climate, its pine forests, its art and its role as the cultural capital of the Philippine highlands.