Let's Go to Baguio (Part 4): A Refreshing Stop at Baguio Cathedral

A Refreshing Stop in Our Lady of the Atonement (Baguio Cathedral)

After of our satisfying lunch at the Session Road branch of Jollibee; me, My Beloved Wife Lei, and our toddlers Samuel and Samantha went next to the nearby Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral or more popularly known as the Baguio Cathedral.

Baguio Cathedral

The cathedral is located on the hill and one of the highest points of Baguio City. Its location is the former site of the Ibaloi settlement of Kampo, which means “camp” in English. The Ibalois and the tribes of the Cordilleras had been resisting colonization since the Spanish times so it is not surprising that the Ibalois built a camp atop a hill.



Being on top of the hill means that we have to walk up and fight the pull of gravity. In short, we had to climb this steep stairs from Session Road.

Stairs to Baguio Cathedral

Our ascent was slow because of the toddlers. We had to be careful lest there will be accident.

Good thing that there are interesting posters at the sides like this drawing of Baguio Cathedral…

Sketch of Baguio Cathedral

...and Baguio’s Sunday Market scene in 1915.

Baguio Sunday Market in 1915

Of course, there are religious posters like the ones about the Holy Rosary…

The Joyful Mysteries in Baguio Cathedral

...and my favorite poster that shows St. Michael the Archangel subduing the Dragon.

St. Michael Vanquishing the Devil by Frank Georg

Most of the drawings were made by Frank Georg. I thought that he is a painter who lived during the American Period. Well, I was wrong. He is a German painter and landscaper who moved in to Baguio in 1996. This German fell in love with Baguio City and he volunteered to beautify the city. He was responsible for sprucing up of the gardens of Baguio City Hall, the Post Office park and the center island leading to Burnham Park. He also donated most of his artworks to the City Government. Frank is a foreigner but a Baguio citizen at heart.

Stairs of Baguio Cathedral

It was an exhausting climb! I felt hungry again after all the effort. I counted 104 steps. We discovered later that there is an elevator in the mall fronting the cathedral and we needn’t climb the stairs.

Well, my tiredness were immediately forgotten the moment I saw the majestic Baguio Cathedral up close.

Baguio Cathedral

It was quiet inside the cathedral and there few people at that time. It was the perfect time to pray. My daughter, meanwhile, thought that the cathedral is the perfect place for sleeping so she fell asleep in no time. We let Samantha sleep for a while while me and Lei took turns in touring the cathedral.

Inside Baguio Cathedral

Baguio Cathedral is the see (or headquarters) of Diocese of Baguio and is the grandest of all the churches in the Cordilleras. Its beautiful altar is the proof of this.

Baguio Cathedral Altar

The altar features golden images of two angels holding a golden crown over a small image of the crucified Jesus. I think that the statue says that Jesus Christ is still the King even at the time of His crucifixion.

Tabernacle of Baguio Cathedral

The stained glass windows behind the altar adds to the majesty of this cathedral.

Baguio Cathedral was placed under the patronage of Mama Mary under in her title as Our Lady of Atonement. Her image is featured at the facade of Baguio Cathedral.

Baguio Cathedral

Baguio Cathedral is of neo-Gothic architectural style. Its facade, which is decorated with stained glass windows, and its twin spires made the cathedral one of the most photographed tourist attraction in Baguio.

Baguio Cathedral

The twin spires of Baguio Cathedral reminds me of the twin-spired Immaculate Conception Cathedral located in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Baguio Cathedral History


Baguio Cathedral is relatively new compared to other cathedrals in Northern Luzon. The construction of this cathedral was finished in 1936, which is already during the American Colonial Period. The reason for this is that the Spaniards failed to subdue the Igorots during their 300+ years rule in the Philippines. Their military operations, using the lowlanders as soldiers, were not fruitful.  Even the missionaries failed to convert the majority of Igorots to the Faith. Igorot's resistance to missionary efforts culminated with the beheading of Fr. Agustin Nino, the friar of Baratao which is now Bauang, La Union.

Jesus on the Cross (Baguio Cathedral)

The coming of the Americans opened the of the Philippines for Protestant proselytizers. The Americans subdued the Igorots using education and many of these educators are White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP).  The Catholic Church was also in dire straits during the early years of the American Period and was still reeling to successive wars that rocked the country: the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. Many Spanish friars were killed by the mostly anti-Church Katipuneros of Andres Bonifacio. Some Catholic priests joined the schismatic Aglipayan Church. The situation is quite dire that only one priest was left to serve that spiritual needs of some 20,000 faithfuls in the whole of Cordillera.

First CICM Missionaries in Baguio and Cordilleras
The first CICM missionaries in the Philippines (source: CICM Philippines)

The situation in the Philippine Church was so dire that Rome called for missionaries to save its outpost in Southeast Asia. The call was answered by 11 missionaries from the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) or the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Three of  the 11 missionaries went to Baguio City in November 16, 1907. They are Rev. Fr. Oktaaf Vandelwalle, Fr. Serafin Devesse, and Fr. Henry Verbeck.One. They were welcomed by a retired treasurer named Mr. Petrelli, whose house is located along Session Road. Mr. Petrelli's house was transformed into a chapel and was dedicated to St. Patrick. They also built a convent and a school for boys, which eventually became St. Louis University. Fr. Devesse became the first rector of this missionary outpost in Baguio.

CICM in the Cordilleras
CICM missionaries in the Cordilleras (source: CICM Philippines)

Fr. Florimond Carlu, who was appointed as the rector of the Baguio mission in 1913, enlarged the chapel for four times but the great number of people attending mass prompted him to build a big church on top of the hill called Kampo by the Ibalois. Rev. Fr. Leo Valdemans, an architect and engineer, drafted the plan for Baguio Cathedral while Fr. Adolph Cansse served as civil engineer. Funds for the project was donated by Fr Paul Watson, who wholeheartedly gave $12. Two CICM missionaries and 25 Igorot carpenters provided labor and their skill for the construction of the magnificent cathedral.

The construction of Baguio Cathedral started in 1920 and was finished in 1936. Four church bells was donated from Belgium by two non-Catholic friends of Father Carlu, namely Hausermann and Bean. Only 3 bells were installed in Baguio Cathedral and were given these names: St. John, St. Patrick, and St. Walterius.  The newly built cathedral was placed under the patronage of Our Lady of the Atonement.

Baguio Cathedral History

Baguio Cathedral is now a regular diocese but the clergy of the Cordilleras did not forget the seed planted by the CICM. In fact, they erected a statue of the early CICM missionaries in celebration of the 110 years of CICM presence in the Philippines.

CICM Missionaries commemorative statues

Aside from the beautiful Baguio Cathedral, many go to Mt. Mary because of its good view of Baguio City. Porta Vaga Mall, located in front of the cathedral, has a viewing deck that gave us a bird’s eye view of the city.

SM Baguio as viewed from Baguio Cathedral
A view of SM Baguio from Baguio Cathedral.

The viewing deck has restaurants and other shops. My Beloved Wife brought potted plants here. Unfortunately, none of the plants survived.

Skyzone of Porta Vaga Mall

The mall also has an elevator, which is perfect for PWDs and elderlies who cannot use the stairs. Aside from that, there’s the usual fast food restaurants and other shops.

Angels at Baguio Cathedral

During the Second World War, many Baguio citizens seek refuge in Baguio Cathedral. US Air Force dropped bombs over Baguio City from January to March 1945. Sadly, a bomb fell in front of Baguio Cathedral that killed many civilians. I read from Basho Fat Sumo that the remains of thousands dead due to bombing were buried in the grounds of the cathedral.

Baguio Cathedral During World War 2
Baguio Cathedral during the Second World War (Source: Basho Fat Sumo)

Despite the risk, more than a thousand people hid in the cathedral while the Americans were "liberating" the city by carpet bombing it on March 15-17, 1945. I couldn't imagine the terror that the people felt while listening to explosions all around the cathedral. Many of them were just waiting for a bomb to drop through the roof. Miraculously, the cathedral survived and many refugees were thankful that their life were spared. Many attributed this miracle to the intercession and protection of Our Lady of the Atonement.

Baguio Cathedral Door

We also seek refuge in Baguio Cathedral. This is the place where we had a good rest, with my daughter getting a restful nap. This is also the place where we took the time to pray and thank the Almighty for finally letting us visit the beautiful City of Baguio.

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Baguio Cathedral Mass Schedules


For those who are planning to attend the Holy Mass in Baguio Cathedral, here are the mass schedules:

Baguio Cathedral Mass Schedule

Baguio Cathedral has the following Mass schedule:

Weekdays: 6:00 AM, 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 12:15 PM, and 5:15 PM
Saturdays: 6:00 AM, 6:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 12:15 PM, and 5:00 PM (anticipated Mass)
Sundays: Masses every hour starting 5:00 AM until 7:00 PM

Confession: 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM during weekdays.

The Holy Face Chapel of Baguio Cathedral has the following schedule:

1. Baptism at 10:00 AM every Saturday and Sunday.
2. Children's Mass at 9:00 AM every Sunday.
3. Latin Mass at 4:00 PM every Sunday.

Weddings can also be held inside Baguio Cathedral. I suggest that you contact the admin of Baguio Cathedral for schedules and requirements for wedding.

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Read more about our adventures in Baguio City:

Let's Go to Baguio (Part 1): The Family Adventure Begins
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 5): Picking Strawberries in La Trinidad, Benguet
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 6): Underwhelming Experience in Mines View Park
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 7): A Savory Lunch of Baguio Bulalo at Cinco Antonios Bistro
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 8): Buying Our Favorite Good Shepherd's Ube Jam
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Let's Go to Baguio (Part 3): Family Fun in Burnham Park


After a restful sleep in Wharton Condominium; me, My Beloved Wife Lei, and the kids have the energy to finally begin our tour around Baguio City. Our first target for that day was the tourist spot considered as the “Mother of All Parks” in Baguio City. That park is none other than Burnham Park.

How We Commuted to Burnham Park


Elephant statue in Children's Playground in Burnham Park.

Burnham Park is located at the center of Baguio City. Thus, almost all jeepneys passes around this park. The park is centrally located that almost all jeepney routes have a terminal just outside of it.

We had no difficulty of riding a jeep from Wharton Condominium and we just paid 13 Pesos each. We reached the park in less than one hour.


Burnham Park Entrance Fee


The good thing about Burnham Park is that it doesn’t have any entrance fee. We entered the park for free! Actually, all public parks in Baguio City can be entered for free. This is one reason why I love about Baguio.

Our Fun Experience in Burnham Park


What immediately welcomed us when we disembarked from the jeepney were these go karts:


Go karting was the first fun thing that we did in Burnham Park. A kart can be rented for 50 Pesos for 30 minutes, while the chopper (I guess this is the four-seater go kart) can be rented for 75 pesos also for 30 minutes.


We rented the chopper since we decided to ride as a family. Our kids sat at the front while we pedaled and drive the kart from the back. It was a fun experience at the start but became exhausting near the end of 30-minutes. I guess I need to exercise more to increase my stamina for these kinds of activities.

Samuel and Samantha enjoyed riding the kart at first but became bored after a few run around the small course. Well, the best way to keep the kids from getting bored is...ice cream!


Baguio is famous for strawberries that’s why we bought the strawberry-flavored ice cream. Samuel and Samantha liked it.

After 30 minutes of pedaling around the go kart course, we moved on to the fake lake in the middle of the park. 


This is the iconic Burnham Lake, which is famous for boating. Of course, we didn’t miss the opportunity and rented a boat.


There are plenty of boats to choose from. There are those that look like swans…


...which are good for selfies. There are those that have amusing design like this one featuring Spongebob:


We were given the option to row the boat ourselves or get a boatman. I don’t know how to row a boat so we chose the latter option. The actual price of renting a boat is 200 Pesos but my Beloved Wife managed to haggle with the boatman so we rented the boat for 150 Pesos.

The boatman toured us around the lake. It was an uneventful tour and we got bored quickly. We disembarked the boat even if our time was not finished. Well, at least we got our selfies in the middle of Burnham Lake.


Burnham Lake and Burnham Park was so named not because of burnt hams but because of the American architect Daniel Hudson Burnham. He and William Parsons were commissioned by the US Colonial Government to prepare the plans for Baguio City. Burnham believed that “every citizen should be within walking distance of a park”. This is the reason why Burnham Park is at the center of the city and very accessible to everyone.

Daniel Burnham's bust in Burnham Park. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our next stop is the Children’s Playground, which is the most fun part of our trip to Burnham Park. 


This is the first time that Samuel and Samantha saw a true outdoor playground. So, they ran. They climbed up and down. They went down the slide. They didn’t stopped playing to the point that we have to drag them out of Burnham Park at lunch time. I understand my children’s excitement with this playground. The reason is that the town in Laguna where we live didn’t have decent playground.


We spent the whole morning in Burnham Park. All in all, it was a fun experience. I enjoyed this park because I saw my children having great fun.

The people of Baguio are very fortunate that they got Daniel Burnham to plan their city. Their city became beautiful and surrounded by greens and is worthy to be called as the City of Pines. And I envy them for that.

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Read more about our adventures in Baguio City:

Let's Go to Baguio (Part 1): The Family Adventure Begins
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 5): Picking Strawberries in La Trinidad, Benguet
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 6): Underwhelming Experience in Mines View Park
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 7): A Savory Lunch of Baguio Bulalo at Cinco Antonios Bistro
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 8): Buying Our Favorite Good Shepherd's Ube Jam
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Let's Go to Baguio (Part 2): Our AirBnB Experience in Wharton Condominium

Our AirBnB Experience in Wharton Condominium, Baguio City

As someone who traveled far and wide, I have been to different kinds of accommodations. I have slept in high-class hotels. I have slept in a surot-infested hotel. I have slept in a campus dorm. I have slept in resorts. I even slept in a shack by the sea. But it was my first time to sleep in a condominium unit rented out via AirBnB and I experienced it in Baguio.


We booked our accommodation in Baguio through AirBnB because we believe that it is cheaper than staying in a hotel. AirBnB is more convenient to because we did everything online, including payment.

Wharton Condominium, Baguio City
(Source: Traveloka)


My Beloved Wife Lei chose Wharton Condominium after a wide selection of Baguio accommodations in AirBnB. We were not disappointed because we got a very good room with two big beds…

Our bed in Wharton Condominium, Baguio City

...kitchen and sink with refrigerator…

Our room in Wharton Condominium, Baguio City

... and TV.

The bathroom is nice too because it has a hot and cold shower.

What I noticed about this condo unit is that it didn’t have an aircon. I guess it’s cold enough in Baguio so aircon is not needed.

Another thing that I like in this Baguio condo is that there is a mini grocery and a food court on the ground floor. These amenities saved us from a lot of trouble during our first night in Baguio. As I said in the previous post, we were exhausted when we reached Baguio City after a very long bus trip from Manila. It was already evening and we were hungry when we reached Wharton Condominium. We bought water, foodstuffs, and other things from the mini grocery, and we also bought cooked rice from the food court. It was a relief for us because we didn’t need to go out and we can just focus on resting our tired selves.

A View from our room in Wharton Condominium, Baguio City
A view from our room in Wharton Condominium.

I can say that Lei made a very good choice for our Baguio accommodation. The Wharton Condominium had everything that we need and we had very good sleep after our long days of touring the city.

I have only two complaints about Wharton Condominium. The first is that the road to condo is very steep. Thus, it was a difficult walk for me, Lei, and the kids. Another complaint is that this Baguio condo is located far away from the city center or even from the highway. Thus, it was difficult for us who only commute.

All in all, we had very good stay in Wharton Condominium and we might book it again when we revisit Baguio.

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