The Notre Dame is one of the places I have never been to during the entire time I was living in the city. One, there was never really a reason for me to go there; two, I heard it was being run by nuns and places run by nuns are - I assumed - off limits to those who do not have to be there (case in point: Pink Sisters' chapel where a gate separates the general public from their praying area, and the convent at St Louis School Center where I studied grade school), and three: there is a rather long driveway from the gate to the main building which makes it look exclusive and generally not for snooping around.
Then the 1990 earthquake devastated Baguio and Notre Dame was closed for many years. I never thought it will reopen actually, and assumed the old building was condemned.
However, I finally found a reason to visit the place because that was where my mother-in-law had her check-up when we were on vacation last December 2010. And that is also where we brought Jo-Lo when he had a high fever (turned out to be bacterial infection of the tonsils). The facilities look great, actually, and the sprawling building which I thought was condemned is standing strong... or was it heavily renovated?
One major thing that has changed though is the very spacious grounds fronting the main building. A new construction is underway, which has taken up pretty much of the open space, leaving room only for the driveway and limited parking.
The only photo I have seen so far of an old,
post-earthquake Notre Dame can be found here. Wish I saw the old, magnificent Notre Dame in person...
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