‘Walk in Baguio’ campaign mounted to avoid repeat of Christmas traffic

BAGUIO closed downtown Session Road to vehicular traffic as it celebrated its 105th foundation day, allowing residents to loiter around a street known for its traffic jams. EV ESPIRITU/ INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

BAGUIO CITY—Families on a Baguio holiday are being encouraged to take advantage of the cool weather and walk to the summer capital’s popular destinations.

Mindful of the gridlock that spoiled the Christmas vacation of the city’s visitors, Baguio businessmen have commissioned a “Walk Happy! Baguio City!” campaign, partly to untangle the traffic jams leading to tourist magnets like the Mines View Park, said filmmaker Ferdinand John Balanag.

Balanag produced two infomercials to be broadcast online and target visitors attending this week’s Philippine Military Academy alumni homecoming, the Baguio Flower Festival parades and other activities that would last until the first week of March, and the Holy Week break in April.

The first infomercial was designed as a music video showcasing Baguio’s beauty and its current state, Balanag said in a media plan he presented to the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc., the Baguio Conventions and Visitors Bureau, and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio, which financed the drive.

“In presenting two sides of the coin to tourists intending to visit Baguio, it is our objective to make them realize their responsibilities as visitors to the city,” he said.

The second infomercial would take visitors through these responsibilities, including where to park without inconveniencing anyone, or how to deal with their trash given that the city’s main streets do not have trash cans.

Supt. Evelio Degay, traffic division chief of the Baguio police, said 19,000 vehicles drove up to Baguio on Dec. 26, part of the gridlock that started from the highways connecting Metro Manila to this mountain city.

This volume of vehicles added to the regular vehicle volume in Baguio, which has more than 30,000 registered vehicles.

During an earlier discussion, Degay said urging tourists to walk was a good recourse.

The Baguio-Boracay Task Force, a Malacañang team formed by President Aquino to draw up a redevelopment plan for the two popular tourist destinations, intends to popularize walking tours for visitors to direct attention to Baguio’s heritage sites, the Department of Tourism said.

Baguio is the only city that was built by the American colonial government in the early 1900s.

“While walking, people will take closer notice of Baguio’s nature and environment which can make them develop a personal appreciation for the city,” said Balanag. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon