Are you also a kid from the 70s-80s Baguio City? See if you can also relate to any of these!
- During Holy Week a free movie is shown at the Soccer field of Burnham Park. They set-up a big screen and the movie projector installed in a van dishes out the entertainment for the night. All you need to do is bring some food, a mat, and some food, and it's movie time under the stars! Don't forget your jackets! The van also gave away free chocolate syrup in plastic bottles. These were branded, but I can no longer recall what it was... they would usually screen some cartoons first (Popeye is a regular feature) and then the main movie comes next. It's either The Sound of Music, Swiss Family Robinson, or a film about Jesus.
- During December, a carnival was set-up near Pines Hotel (where SM now stands). It was always an exciting time to walk uphill from lower Session Road as we anticipate rides and games.
- Also during December some civic-minded groups gave away big bags of presents to children at the Melvin Jones Grandstand. We did not know if you actually have to sign-up or something in order to get a goody bag so we usually just stood at the field and stared...
- Simbang gabi... it is always unique a experience in Baguio, not just when I was a kid but also in these times. It's because of the climate.
- We walked everywhere. Loaded with some bread and water, my friends and I would start our trek from Burnham Park to Sunshine Park, then end it with the Filipino-Japanese Friendship Park. Or, if we felt more adventurous, we'd go all the way to Hyatt Terraces Hotel. At other times we'd go to Teacher's Camp, and then Imelda Park where we caught tadpoles.
- Every 6PM we stopped doing whatever it is we were doing (and so did everybody else) to observe the Angelus. The city hall signals the time through a siren which can be heard over most of the city.
- After school at Boys High, we would usually run to the Public Library near the Athletic Bowl. It was a really nice place. It was made of wood, and inside you can smell the familiar scent of books. We usually read books on hobbies and we cannot take these out for overnight use and so we just stayed until the Library closed. Too bad it was destroyed by the Earthquake.
- There were Grand Cañao celebrations in Burnham Park and they gave away chunks of meat to the onlookers!
- My younger brother did more of this than I did: capturing spiders in gumamela bushes and pitting his team against others.
- Tasting the sweet nectar from plants in Burnham Park. I forgot the name of the plant, unfortunately.
- Sliding down the slopes at Burnham Park or at John Hay using cardboard and laying a path of pine needles for a slippery ride!
- Collecting pine cones either at Burnham or at John Hay to use as Christmas ornaments.
- Seeing a walking stick at John Hay!
- Playing volleyball at John Hay's Amphitheatre! This has been closed off, and you need to pay now to see it I think.
- Cartoon Festival at Pines Theatre! It's a week-long event where only cartoons are shown and kids get free balloons!
- The section of Burnham Park that's in front of the Rizal Park was one big meadow with unimpeded slopes where the stairs leading to the Rizal Park is now located. We used to roll all the waaaay down then run up and do it again! We also flew kites here.
- Snow Cream! It's already 'extinct' unfortunately.
- White ladies, faith healers, and ghosts abound. They were part of everyday life. We lived in a haunted house when I was a kid. I saw a couple of faith healing sessions, one of which was only a block away from our house. I saw the Bleeding Heart at the Loakan Airport.
- We played in the streets, pretending to be Star Rangers characters, or played hide and seek where the territory was from Burnham all the way to SkyWorld Condonmunium.
If people from the 'older generations' say that the Baguio City of their time was loads better than what it is today, better believe it. I had a blast during my time.
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