History of Baguio City (grabbed from DENR-CAR site)

In the first half of the 19th century, Spanish explorers stumbled upon a land of fertile vales, verdan forests and ore-rich streams deep in the mountains of Luzon. They came in armies of soldiers, priests and fortune-hunters to conquer, convert and exploit. It took numerous skirmishes with fierce tribes before Spanish colonial government was able to establish its authority in this territory. But the division of the land into local government units called commandancias only succeeded in driving the tribes higher into the mountains. The Spaniards found the proud mountain people difficult to rule and subdue, thus, they again parcelled the commandancias into rancherias, which they placed in the hands of the landed gentry.

When the Americans arrived in the wide low valley of "Kafagway" deep in these highlands in 1900, the area was a rancheria of 20 houses owned by the Cariño clan, the wealthiest family in Benguet Province. Although there were few houses and even fewer roads in the area which was mostly pasture or marshland, the Americans found the pine-covered hills, grassy slopes and cool heights ideal as a summer retreat from the sweltering heat of the lowlands.

In November 1990, the Americans established the first civil government in Benguet, with Kafagway, which was renamed Baguio, as the capital. The new name was said to have been derived from the native word "Bigyiw", a moss-like green plant which the Ibaloi - the aboriginal inhabitants - had found growing around the area where Burnham Park is now located. A rest and recreation camp was created immediately after, which later became Camp John Hay. On June 01, 1903, a resolution was passed by the American colonial government, naming the town of Baguio "Summer Capital of the Archipelago." They built Kennon Road - completed three years later - the first road to connect Manila with the mountain regions. They constructed buildings, secured transportation and water supply, and established 19 other townships. In September 1, 1909, Baguio became a chartered city and the townships were later reduced to 13 municipalities.

The city prospered in the years before World War II, but was destroyed by repeating bombing during the liberation. From these ruins rose another city which steadily grew into commercial, educational and recreation center of the Cordilleras. Today, Baguio City is a self-governing member of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) - composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mt. Province.

As such, there are lot of tourism sites in the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, KalingaMt. Province.

For more information, keep following this blog and / or www.baguioadventures.blogspot.com