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by Cecile C. Afable |
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Baguio had a beginning
There are old bits about your city, lifted from Jun Halsema’s biography of his father, Mayor E.J. Halsema, colonial engineer, from some old copies of the Manila Bulletin, La Guardia, the Roces’ Spanish paper and some people which can include Doring Cariño Fianza, the mother of our administrative officer at City Hall, Peter Fianza.
At my age, I realized that nothing changes more constantly than the past for the past that influences our lives does not consist of what actually happened but of what people believe happened.
On record, the real father of Baguio City is Cameron Forbes, who introduced the “kaminero” system of maintaining roads. He even demonstrated how to use a spade to any new worker who never handled one.
Halsema’s first report to the Governor General was: “Baguio must be made an attractive resort city, with adequate buildings, reduced land speculation, and a lower cost of living, accessible to the outside.
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In 1920, Halsema started a water system for Baguio, using the gravely flow of water from Pacdal. Halsema, in doing his job, was assisted by two very industrious men — Reese, an American, and an Ilocano, Juan C. Resurrecion. Both men have no school degrees but are mechanical geniuses. With Halsema, they built hydro no. 1 in Asin and the water pump at Camp 8. They made us the first city in the country with adequate electricity for lights in the streets, for cooking, and for heating at ten centavos a kilowatt.
In 1909, Forbes tried to make Baguio a manager form of government. After the 17 years that Halsema stayed in Baguio, he made it the greenest city by planting pines. Mauricio De Guia was the first forester who maintained a nursery of pine seedlings. De Guia, a graduate of Forestry from Yale University, is the father of Gene de Guia. The now gone eucalyptus and jacaranda trees were planted by Forester De Guia.
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In 1922, the Igorots living in the city limits had five of them appointed as advisory council who formally meets several times a year to discuss whatever problems and conflicts crop up between the Igorots and Americans. The Igorots did not understand why they have to pay dog license or why they need permission to cut trees. Today we are still supposed to pay but we don’t bother. Cuidno Carantes headed the advisory council.
By 1922, medical aid was given free to the Igorots and lowlanders. Dr. Teodoro Arvisu was the first medical director. He studied pediatrics in the United States. He was a great doctor and director of the BGH where he started the second nursing school. Arvisu was a pillar of the community until his death. “Honest, hard working, and responsible,” were the reputations he left for us.
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On education
Halsema was known for his industry, fairness and persistence, and absolute honesty! But he will never be forgotten for his belief in education for all Filipinos, regardless of their income or social status.
In his annual report to the Governor General for 1923, Halsema forecasted Baguio’s development as one of the most important educational centers in the Philippines. He pointed out that its climate “favors the physical and mental development of students.”
Halsema also pointed out that Baguio is best for “inspiration and meditation.”
The newspapers that time were full of praises for the city. The Philippine Herald of Quezon, and The El Debate were against Baguio as a year round capital as suggested by Wood. La Vanguardia, a Roces paper, kept praising the beauty of Baguio, and expressing joy that Baguio is lucky to have an engineer as its mayor than a politician.
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Our joy and smiles are for Baguio, today, for it is Her Day. And a bigger day is arriving soon when she will be one hundred years old. We are not exactly feverishly preparing for it although we know that Gerry Evangelista and Ronnie Paraan are working hard to put something together.
Anybody who can afford can get anything about Baguio in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. The shelf on Baguio there is long and wide. Everything is there. Pictures cost $10 to recopy. The place is very comfortable and quiet for researchers. Everything one will need to do a research is there; gloves for your hands, pens, computers, copiers, tables, and chairs. The city should send a scholar there if they love this city.
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For those who want to honor those who prepared a place for them to live and stay and die, I suggest that we maintain a sort of “Baguio yard.” We will fence the place with trees. Inside we will place the busts of those who deserve our gratitude like mayor EJ Halsema and Cuidno Carantes. A bust for Mateo Cariño, the first Igorot, who joined Aguinaldo against the Americans. His bust is near Rizal at the Luneta as a national hero. He does not like the weather down there so let us give him a place here. A bust for Dr. T. Arvisu, who spent most of his life keeping Baguio healthy. For Irene Francia, who was the first principal of the BGH Nursing School which has gained a reputation for Baguio and the country. |
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