THE BAGUIO

Baguio, officially the City of Baguio (Filipino: Lungsod ng Baguio; Ilokano: Ciudad ti Baguio; Ibaloi: Ciudad ni Bagiw) and often referred to as Baguio City, is a highly urbanized city located in the province of Benguet in northern Luzon island of thePhilippines. The city has become the center of business and commerce as well as the center of education in the entire Northern Luzon thereby becoming the seat of government of the Cordillera Administrative Region (C.A.R.).^[3] According to the 2010 census, Baguio City has a population of 318,676.

 Baguio City was established by the Americans as a hill station in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway. It was the United States' only hill station in Asia.^[4] The name of the city is derived from the Ibaloi word bagiw meaning 'moss.' The Ibaloi is the indigenous language in the Benguet Region,. The city is situated at an altitude of approximately 1,540 meters (5,050 feet) in the Luzon tropical pine forests ecoregion conducive for the growth of mossy plants and orchids.

 Because of its cool climate, Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the "Summer Capital" of the Philippines on June 1, 1903 wherein the government was transferred to city to escape the lowland heat during summer. It was incorporated as a chartered city by the Philippine Assembly on September 1, 1909, as authored by former Philippines Supreme Court JusticeGeorge A. Malcolm. The City of Baguio celebrated its Centennial on September 1, 2009.

 The city is home to many immigrants from other parts of the country. A significant population of foreigners also contributed to the diversity of the city's colorful culture. Thelanguages commonly spoken in Baguio are Kankanaey, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, English, Chinese. Several establishments were founded to accommodate their needs. Posters and signages are sometimes printed with Korean translation. Several restaurants also serve different types of local and foreign cuisine.

Baguio's youth majority in the population has given it a distinct flavor different from those of other cities in the Philippines. Although Baguio is very modern nowadays,Panagbenga Festival, the annual Flower Festival, is celebrated each February to showcase Baguio's rich cultural heritage, its appreciation of the environment, and inclination towards the arts.

THE PHILIPPINE DUCK

The Philippine duck (Anas luzonica) is the country’s only endemic duck. It is classified as “vulnerable” under the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Standing almost two feet high, the Philippine duck is a large dabbling or surface-feeding bird.  Its food consists mainly of shrimp, fish, insects and some forms of vegetation in fresh- and saltwater habitats such as mangroves, rice fields and the open sea. It is typically a shy species that flies off quickly when approached.

Its crown, nape and eye stripe are black or dark brown; its bill is blue-grey; its head and neck are cinnamon in color; and its body and legs are grayish-brown. Its spread wings show a glossy-green patch bordered with black and white on topside, and a white underside. Owing to its features, it has been dubbed as the “tropical version of the mallard,” which is found in more temperate countries of America and Europe, 

The breeding season of the Philippine duck is usually between March and November. A clutch may consist of as few as eight to as much as 16 eggs that are dull white with a brownish tinge.  Its population, reported in the 2005 Asian Waterbird Census at 4,428, is on a continuing decline, hence its classification as a vulnerable species. 

The decline in its population is attributed to hunting and trapping, destruction of its habitat due to conversion of natural wetlands and mangroves, and pollution from extensive use of pesticides in rice fields. Fortunately, the Philippine duck breeds well in captivity.

The Philippine duck, as with other wildlife, is protected by Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. RA 9147 promotes ecological balance and enhances biodiversity by conserving and protecting wildlife species and their habitats.

To date, two areas have been declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as critical habitats of this bird: a 27-hectare wetland area in Cabusao, Camarines Sur, and the 178-hectare Malasi Tree Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Cabagan, Isabela.

However, the duck has also been reportedly sighted in other areas such as Caylabne Bay in Cavite; Mt. Iglit Baco and Naujan Lake in Mindoro Island; Maria Aurora Memorial Natural Park in Aurora; Bataan Natural Park; Subic Bay Forest Reserves; Olango Island in Cebu; and Candaba Marsh in Pampanga.

ANIMALS IN THE PHILIPPINES

TRANSPORTATIONS

The Philippines has more than 7,000 islands, and each and everyone of those islands has some beauty to offer to a traveler or a long-time resident. It is therefore natural that different public transportations are available to go around these many islands.> There are a lot of different public transportation modes in the Philippines, and here are fifteen of them. According to Wikipedia, public transportation means “passenger transportation that is available for the general public”. These will therefore exclude private jets, hired vans that require a negotiation and a contract on the rates, and similar other rides, though those are available in the Philippines, too. With these in mind, here are more than a dozen public transportation modes in the Philippines. Some are usual, some are quite interesting.

THE UNDERGROUND TRAVEL

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometres (30 mi) north of the city centre of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The river is also called Puerto Princesa Underground River. The national park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island. It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. The park is also known as St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park, or St. Paul Underground River. The entrance to the Subterranean River is a short hike from the town of Sabang. In 2010, a group of environmentalists and geologists discovered that the underground river has a second floor, which means that there are small waterfalls inside the cave. They also found a huge cave dome, measuring 300 meters above the underground river, incredible rock formations, large bats, a deep water hole in the river, more river channels, another deep cave, marine creatures, and more. And because it's very dark inside and very hard to get oxygen, it's dangerous for humans, so they didn't uncover all of the mysteries of this deep underground river.

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

HISTORICAL TRAVEL