Tag Archives: Baguio City

Baguio City Taxi Drivers: “We’re Being Robbed By Our Passengers!”

imageBAGUIO CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – In most cities in the Philippines, taxi riders complain about drivers “robbing” them of hard-earned money, either by tampering with the fare meter or taking the long and winding road to the passengers’ destination.

Not in Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, which celebrates a huge cultural festival this entire month of February, the Panagbenga.  The annual flower festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to this  city which boasts of San Francisco-like weather.

It is the other way around: passengers robbing taxi drivers, with the full blessing of the government’s transportation agency!

It would have been a huge opportunity for taxi drivers to earn more income, except for one thing. They’re actually losing 5 pesos each time they take on passengers.

Plastered on the windshield of all Baguio City taxis is a sign that says, “Taxi Fare, less 5 pesos.”  So if your final fare as per the taxi meter is 100 pesos, you actually will only pay 95 pesos.

There is a logical and legal explanation to all this, but it is of little concern to the taxi-riding public.  What’s important is the 5-peso saving each time someone rides a cab.  After 20 taxi rides, you’ll have enough money to buy you a Starbucks espresso!

 

 

Philippine Presidential Candidates Gear Up For Baguio’s Panagbenga Festival

imageBAGUIO CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Some 2.5 Million people are expected to attend this year’s festivities for the annual Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City, the Philippines’ summer capital.

The month-long celebration of the blooming of flowers begins February 1st and will culminate in a grand street parade later in the month.

2016, of course, is presidential election year in the Philippines, and it would unwise for the candidates to ignore this enormous opportunity to campaign.

Today, The Adobo Chronicles has confirmed that all five major presidential candidates will participate in the street parade, and all have chosen their respective costumes and attires for the grand celebration

The five candidates are Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas (who will be parading with his wife, broadcaster Korina Sanchez), Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

While none of the candidates revealed their chosen costume, they allowed us to publish an artist’s rendition of how they will look like in the parade. (See photo)

Who do you think looks the most presidential?

Philippine City Home To Cultural Landmark Occupied By Ghosts

Laperal Mansion ( Photo: Richard Balonglong/Inquirer Northern Luzpn)
Laperal Mansion ( Photo: Richard Balonglong/Inquirer Northern Luzon)

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines ( The Adobo Chronicles ) – The Great Wall of China. The Egyptian Pyramids. Rome’s Colosseum. The U.K.’s  Stonehedge. India’s Taj Mahal. These are among the most famous historical and cultural landmarks in the world — built by humans.

But Baguio City in the Philippines holds the distinction of being the site of a unique historical and cultural landmark — built by humans and cared for by spirits (translation: ghosts).

The National Museum of the Philippines has recently declared the Laperal Mansion, fondly called ‘The White House,’ among four century-old buildings in the summer capital as cultural landmarks of the country. It said that  “these ancestral houses and public structures are reflective of the nation’s history, enduring the elements of time and preserving the nostalgia of Filipino art and culture in the 18th century for posterity.”

The Laperal White House is an eye-catching Victorian edifice along Leonard Road. There have been many stories including those of passersby seeing a little girl standing motionless on the third step of the staircase that fronts the house. Some have spotted a woman looking out its glass windows. Some have heard angry voices and loud noises from inside the empty house. Others have claimed they had this awful feeling of being unwelcome and being watched once inside. The security guards are also terrified to go in at night.

At the height of World War II, terror knocked on door of the mansion in the form of Japanese soldiers. The house was transformed into a garrison, where — if some stories are to be believed — they brutally tortured and murdered many, including members of the Laperal family.

While the mansion, since 2013, has been transformed into a gallery of Filipino artwork based on bamboo and wood, many come in less for the displays, but more for the ‘supernatural’ experience. Boooo!

DISCLAIMER: The Adobo Chronicles commissioned a ghost writer to help with this story.