By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
If there is day, there must also be night. And if there are times when Baguio is dry and sunny, then there must be wet and rainy days that pass over this city. Since the two come in a package, we have learned how to make do with the torrential rains that wear and tear the mountains each year. And the cold that gives any resident or tourist second thoughts about going outside.
Like a sweet seductive whisper, the cold can travel unseen through the naked eyes. It will slide through the night and maintain a strong grip all over the body, keeping it still and quiet, killing any desire to get out of bed.
But as citizens, we have all come to accept and adapt to all that comes with residing in this city. The sound of traffic, smoke and horns have all established themselves as inseparable from the identity of this city. Especially as the colder months are starting to arrive, then so too will hopeful tourists wanting to cool off.
Then again, the locals have adapted to this phenom by simply staying indoors during these stressful times. One alternative had always been to venture deeper into the mountains up north, in hopes of avoiding traffic and getting to breath in quality air from a proper frontier environment barely touched by pollution.
This city had always been a magnet for people from all over, whether from the north or south. Citizens from all over can be found everywhere, even those originating from beyond the oceans that surround us.
Not really what you would see nor feel in a city located in a tropical country. Baguio is not that hot compared to the rest of the country. Yet, on some occasions a proper tropical sun does hit the city mercilessly and turns every car into a box of sweat and foul smell. Yet, it is not a complete temperate city, though Pine Trees are everywhere, there are only two seasons that hang over this region, cold and sunny. Four seasons can only be bought by going abroad.
Nevertheless, this is a city that brings people together under a fair weather. Many have found love, jobs, and homes for their families. But, pollution runs rampant across town. Plastics desecrate the natural beauty of the city. The City of Baguio should always be green, not painted with red. Giving back to a city that has given a lot for the people, would only be right. Then the pine trees will surely stand strong over our heads far into the future.
And the cold will move ever freely into the night, dancing her way to every room.
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