“Love Baguio or Leave Baguio”
Catchy slogan!
There’s actually a group of evangelists and Baguio residents who have formed a watch group and want to shoo away migrants.
Their ire, though is focused on the Koreans. I have reproduced excerpts of a recent article below:
Baguio campaign seen as threat to Koreans
Baguio evangelists have mounted a “Love Baguio or Leave Baguio” campaign which now threatens transient Koreans, who “refuse to follow city rules.”
The campaign is aimed at “visitors who won’t follow even the simplest traffic rules,” said Voltaire Acosta, who heads the Linis Gobyerno, a local antigraft group.
(Rabrinadath Quilala) described the “Love Baguio or Leave Baguio” campaign as a “civil obedience” initiative that tasks residents to initiate “citizens’ arrests” should they encounter litterbugs or jaywalkers.
Quilala said he and Acosta had just arrived from a conference in Malaysia and were “welcomed by uncollected garbage along city streets and by new complaints raised against immigrants.”
Quilala said many Baguio old-timers have been blaming the city’s urban decay on the presence of “new blood.” Most of these complaints revolve around “rude” Koreans, he said.
Koreans have become the summer capital’s largest foreign population, next to Americans. About 6,000 Koreans are either enrolled in local universities or have settled here to do evangelical work.
Above is a photo of ‘Legarda Road as Korea Town’
Are they saying that Filipinos are not the ones dirtying up Baguio with their satellite markets? Or their penchant for littering?
Just yesterday I saw a Korean student eating fishballs beside a garbage dump. I thought, “Yucch! How can he eat there?! Then he threw the paper plate and stick where the garbage was. So I hollered, “Hey, you cannot throw that there! Then I thought, “Why not? The garbage was not segregated, the trashbags were not sealed well, trash was overflowing, and he did throw it in the ‘designated’ area, although not sealed in a bag.”
The kids walking home from Boys High litter everywhere on the street while walking. The parents picking up their kids from Berkeley throw their trash out their car windows. At least the Korean threw it where he saw a mound of uncollected garbage!
As for Baguio traffic rules: what laws are we following? That street intersections can be blocked by jeepneys? That any taxi can make a u-turn anywhere? That cars have the right to ram into you because they have perceived right of way? That one can park on a pedestrian lane? That pedestrians should wait for the cars to pass before crossing and not the other way around?
Traffic in Baguio sucks because we have a surplus of jeepneys and taxis barreling down the roads. It sucked even when the Koreans had not ‘discovered’ us. Besides, how many of them have cars?
Are Filipinos not rude themselves? Or do we feel entitled to be rude because this is our country? Do we feel entitled to violate traffic rules because this is our country?
When the two gentlemen arrived in Baguio from Malaysia, was the garbage strewn around by the Koreans or the Filipinos? The mounds of garbage at the market were thrown by the Koreans or the Filipinos? The non-collection was the fault of a Korean or a Filipino?
Or do these evangelists see the Korean evangelists as their competition? Tithes, you know.
Filipinos are ruining Baguio. Virtually for FREE! At least the Koreans spend a few thousand dollars a month for that ‘privilege.’
Who does not love Baguio then?
- The men behind the flyover in the photo above, the congressman who railroaded the project despite lack of funds, and lack of justification therefor, and who’ll probably win as mayor once again in 2010 when his term as congressmen is up.
- The mayor behind the Jadewell contract, as well as the city councilors who confirmed that lop-sided contract, who left his ‘partner in crime’ congressman turned mayor holding the bag
- The mayor who implemented the no segregation - no collection policy without thinking
- The councilor who wants to build a market at Burnham Park
- The vice-mayor who wants to set up more satellite markets
- The owners of schools that use the whole city outside their teeny campuses as lounge areas for their students, as dormitories, as canteens (heck, I figured, you have 20,000 students, you should be able to feed at least half of them within the campus)
- Everyone who litters, whether visitors or residents
- That corrupt LTFRB official who released colorum taxis by the thousands
- That mayor and congressman who agreed to give SM a moratorium on business taxes for 5 years (in exchange for …)
- The mayor who allowed the Camp John Hay development to tear down Main Club, as if the Manor could not be located elsewhere within all those hectares
- All those parents of hundreds of little gang members who give them money to buy spray paint and who not not monitor the whereabous of their children while they are busy vandalizing the city
Are Acosta and Quilala going to ask these people to leave Baguio, too? Because they clearly do not love the city.
ohhhh the garbage!! We might have to write our names on our garbage. “Clean up drive??”
….so whose the squatter in navy base running for kagawad. Their spreading little nots around not to vote for him/her. hehe
Hi, Russel, a whole bunch of them walked straight to my front door campaigning. Just by looking at them, not a single candidate inspired respect or confidence. Maybe the homeowners of our neighborhood should have a get-together meeting and talk over things — without any candidates present. I don’t want the barangay lorded over by the squatters from the navy base polo field. They cannot set good directions for this area.
May I add to the list:
The tradpols who are now busy doing their political math.
At least two tradpols are now planning to turn the 4-hectare land adjacent to the Baguio Cemetery as exclusive burial grounds for the growing Muslim community.
Not that we are against the Muslim, the question is: Won’t that encourage more loads for Baguio’s limited carrying capacity?
According to former Mayor Yaranon, this tradpol is the author of the Uniwide takeover of the city public market
May I add to the list:
>> The tradpols whose eyes are always set on political math.
At least two tradpols are now planning to turn the 4-hectare land adjacent to the Baguio Cemetery as exclusive burial grounds for the growing Muslim community.
Not that we are against the Muslim, the question is: Won’t that encourage more loads for Baguio’s limited carrying capacity?
According to former Mayor Yaranon, this tradpol is the author of the Uniwide takeover of the city public market, the issue that has stalled any development in the area which is now the epitome of squalor and filth in the city.
The same official has a track record of setting his eyes upon vote-rich enclaves, such as the 20,000-strong local Cooperative which he has immortalized by his resolution creating Baguio’s newest street, the Cooperative St.
I always try to champion Pinoys Internationally but I also acknowledge that fact there are just too many who weren’t taught properly when they were children. Maraming matitigas ang ulo. The more I read about things happening in Baguio, the more I am re-thinking of coming back for retirement.
Ah! Finally, I see your face Ate Lisa
!
hi lisa,
I have been reading your post. I wanted to know what other people think of what’s happening around. Your observations are very right,very honest,and so true. And yes, according to the mayor who was formerly a vice mayor,the students bring economy to the city, not tourism daw??? I think that was at a daily during the meningo time. So priority nya mga schools, never mind the other areas of concern.
Hi Chi, yup it’s really cheaper to court block votes in a campaign, especially when one does not have much substance to attract intelligent individual votes. Yeah, a Muslim cemetery! So they will all be here selling Deebeedees! It seems Baguio wants to attract residents not visitors.
Hi KK (aka Tina), am rethinking moving out. Suddenly Manila seems better. p.s. that’s my ’stern’ photo, hahaha. I have a ‘glam’ photo but based on the topics here I figured an unsmiling Lisa works.
Welcome Ann! Well if your family has 1 Billion in gross receipts from your 20,000 students crammed into a small area that does not cost much to maintain, you would tend to think that. Never mind if Baguio is getting ugly because of the schools and their students.
What? Thinking of moving out. Okay, before Manila please check out my friend Edgardo’s vacation home in San Fernando,Pampanga. He runs Fishermans Grill(city proper) there(halo-halo is on me). He calls it his Shangri-la. Maybe, we all can fit in around that place. Hey who knows we can ride horses around still. Wala pa sigurong squatters doon. ‘glam’ photo at gobaguio hhmmm maybe?
Joe, don’t panic. It’s hot in Manila, the same way it’s hot in Pampanga. Manila is generally classier. Yup, Baguio these days lacks class. You find it only in Camp John Hay and Baguio Country Club, and just a few more places around. There’s the word I was looking for “classy”
hi lisa, hope that class you find in kamjanhi and baguio country club comes with substance.
garbage hass always been a problem even before the Koreans came…. i grew up in Baguio and i can remember some spots where you can really smell the odour of the piled rubbish… dont blame everyhting to the Koreans.. There is nothing wrong with the slogan… I love it in the first place… but that does not just target one sector in the community… but everyone…
Hi Resty, what I meant was classy surroundings and appointments, not the folks there necessarily. hahaha. Session Road businesses are definitely declasse these days, and let us not please let any tourist explore magsaysay or general luna, which are so uber-jologs these days.
Welcome Maripotpot! I agree — wish I had thought of that slogan, too. Baguio needs discipline and should just stop allowing everyone to make excuses when they trash the place.
Yeah, it’s nice to put a face on those words. Hey Baguio, we’re coming back for a visit. Hope to visit your place for my city slickers that doesn’t want to go further north. (mountains) Can’t wait to see my Baguio.Be expecting a note from me when we have all necessary paper. Like to meet you. You seems to be very interesting person. My hubby love to check out your vintage cars.
Where’s the glamour shots found?!!!
i was born and raised in baguio and for a long time lived in baguio!!!!! but there are a lot of thing that really changed in baguio which i think are not really from baguio who degrade the city!!!!!!!!
i was born and raised in baguio!!!!! and what really pisses me off is the people who arre not really from baguio that destroys the cleanliness the serenity and the fun lovving place of baguio!!!!!!!
Go Lisa! More power to you! I miss the morning coffees and chit chats Adrian and myself used to have with you in your lovely Atenara House.
I enjoy reading your blogs. Lets join forces and make Baguio a better place to live in.
Welcome Marina, and hope to see you when you do visit Baguio!
Welcome Joey! But it’s the people of Baguio, like Domogan who encourages squatting, and Baguio people like the school owners who have encouraged lowlanders to study in their schools due to their ‘no-entrance-exam-just-pay-the-tuition’ admission policies! Unlike tourists, they trash Baguio ALL YEAR ROUND!
Welcome Tito, yup joining forces is the KEY — and I believe it’s about time! Miss you and Adrian, too, so just come by anytime. You know you’re always welcome!
Hello Tina, the glam shots are of me taking my photo in the bathroom after putting on make-up but I think I’ll keep the schoolmarm photo there for a bit longer. Hahaha!
for those in this blog who keeps on putting down baguio… get lost… this city deserves more than idiots who are proud of more dirt in their cities (aka manila) if you dont like baguio, leave… you contribute traffic and garbage … in manila your cars dont stop at pedestrian lanes or even at least try to, here in baguio to say the least we stop before the pedestrian lanes so people can cross the street… think before you speak, and by the way, its us filipinos who make this city dirty, let us not blame the immigrants, im here in kobe japan and I am proud I follow japanese rules, the way I also follow baguio rules… if I could just be mayor, I will start by making people think , that Baguio is our city, we MUST love and protect it… don’t blame anyone… 300,000 Filipinos in Baguio vs a few thousand koreans? come on! plain logic…
hi ranny, i don’t think anyone is putting down baguio here. it’s the uncaring people we put down. the only place that motor vehicles stop for pedestrians here is along session road. outside of session road, run for your life! baguio has become a city of and for motor vehicles. pedestrians don’t get much respected around here.
Hello to all of you…I hope you won’t mind, but I got some of your comments…I need it for my research…(;
Hi everyone! After reading a couple of issues and articles placed in this Website (which is by the way, an awesome site!), i am more than curious to know how can i help our City.
I’ve worked in four different Multi-National Companies in a decade now and and i have learned a lot from them. I know it may not be enough, but i am prepared to make a difference in my own way.
I am currently on my 5th month here in Singapore studying Singapore’s rich culture and remarkable system of governance, I will be ruturning back to Baguio this June to continue my Master’s Degree. During my stay there for a year or two, I really would like to share a lot of things to the people of Baguio.
I hope i can get in touch with you guys when i come back and get your professional inputs about the City’s problems and solutions being proposed so far.
More Power to this site!
Bryan
Thanks Bryan for coming forward and offering your help. I am sure, having left Baguio for a while, you can now see what works for other places and what it is that doesn’t make the Philippines work.
Singapore had Lee Kwan Yew, as a benevolent dictator, but it is my belief that he would not have been able to turn things around for his country had the citizens not craved for the discipline themselves.
We are hoping to get like-minded folks together to map out plans for a better Baguio, little endeavors, step by step.
It all starts with individuals wanting a better world, a sane world, and deciding to sacrifice and work for it.
Can’t wait till you get back!
hi lisa,
i’m glad to see i-baguio up and running again. a few days of quiet seems to be eternal slumber. that is how excited i am to hear about baguio…on a daily basis…whahaha.
“…that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. Events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meeting and material assistance which no man could have dreamt would have come his way…” -WH Murray
GO BAGUIO! BE THE CHANGE!
Mike, i-baguio.com never went offline, not even for a few days. The other day, I was trying out a magazine-type of design, but all posts were working.
i didn’t mean off line…i meant quiet as in no comments…trying to reach you by cel and email too…nada. i hope all is well like always.
Hi Mike, am in Manila with my family, working on some new businesses. Hahaha, like I said many times in this site, I do not depend on income from Baguio to live I just live in Baguio because I love it!
it is like trying to stick to basics ..or it is either improvement but with a lot of compromise…. stick to the things that are simple but in the long run be appreciated by most likely residents and concerned citizens.
Baguio is really dirty nowadays… when I wake up early in the morning to take a jog at burnham I am meet by garbage along magsaysay and harrison rods. There really is a lot of garbage around the city, even with the implementation of the garbage segregation I can see little diffference. I think the problem is in the lack of proper garbage collection. Also the city lacks a proper drainage ang sewage system. The canals are already blocked by garbage.
The city is relly overpopulated, what is the city gov. doing to control the immigration of people like those beggars, where are they from anyway, at the city central business district area. Why don’t they pass a law concerning a rigid implementation of qualifications for upcoming migrants to the city. Or pack up those people who come to make the city misserable and send them back where they came hehehe…….
I agree, Quing!
We tend to complicate things and call it PROGRESS. There’s nothing progressive about pollution, traffic and squatting.
Welcome Bok!
The city government is failing to provide basic services — waste management, peace and order, traffic management. The politicians themselves encourage squatting so they can increase their voter base. Illegal vendors in Burnham Park, for example are not driven away. In fact, the politicians are creating a Night Market just for them to stay in Baguio and live off our natural resources.
Just think — you will be spending to send their kids to school, too!
We cannot “pack up those people” just like that. But neither should we “invite” them to come up, stay and squat. The answer would be to entice only investors to come up — not the students from the lowlands who’ll never leave, not the squatters, not the illegal vendors.
The thing that Baguio people love — a low cost of living — is also made available to every Filipino who migrates to our beautiful city. Make Baguio expensive?
I am one of the immigrants (well long term visitor) in Baguio. I love the weather and the history of the area. But the pollution and garbage is very bad. I don’t agree with the thought that it is Koreans that are a problem. Many of them are young and want a better world too. How the inhabitants of an area behave toward their land is the key.
I love the place, but the lack of control over pollution, auto exhausts, and the abandoned or neglected buildings, even on Session Rd, really are symptomatic of problems that have nothing or little to do with foreigners.
I do feel privileged to live in a very wonderful part of the Philippines, even if it does have problems. I think your children are better educated than most in the country and that your taxis are the best anywhere I’ve ever been (even if their exhauts smoke too much).
Hi Tatoosh!
I agree with you — the news article had a slant, which was malicious and very bad, in my opinion. The evangelists assured me that their observation regarding the garbage was not anti-Korean or anti-foreigner.
I agree with you that living in beautiful Baguio is a privilege, something that many residents do not appreciate. We just have to each do out little bit to reclaim the wonderful city we migrated to. Actively, passionately.
See ya around!
i love baguio but i have to say goodbye in a few more months
well its not because of the korean i think…what if they put lot of trash bins… when we walk in session road na nga lang di na natin maiwasan ang magtrash na lang sa road kasi naman wala talagang trashbins…
about naman sa traffic..pano naman kasi hindi magkakaron niyan binabago lagi ang dadaanan…hayyyy….and ne more thing more cost for the drivers …lalong napapalayo….
trash bins, okey put a lot of trashbins along session road, ang pangit atang tingnan, besides session will stink. Ibulsa na lng, and throw it in the first trash can you see. The police should also catch people who are littering.
mahal ko pa din ang baguio kahit na puro usok ang session road at grabe ang traffic na pati pedestrian e nakaharang mga sasakyan at di ka makatawid sa harizon road,at sa gabi e walang ilaw ang Burnham Park,sa umaga e wala kang makitang magagandang bulaklak(pwera na lang during Panagbenga)…mga nagkalat na vendor..palaruan ng mga bata na puro putik,di man makabili ng modernong palaruan para sa mga bata mga namamahala sa Park…hay!babalik pa din ako sa SINILANGAN KONG BAGUIO…LOVE U BAGUIO!