Abstract

In early 2015, a People’s Summit was convened by civil society groups to reflect on the state of the environment of Baguio City. Premised on the slogan, “The Baguio We Want,” a People’s Statement was drafted. It outlined the litany of woes besetting their beloved mountain city and made a clarion call for action. Tourism was identified and re-assessed as one of the key factors contributing to the environmental malaise of the city. This essay reviews historically some of the circumstances that have given rise to this current state-of-affairs, and situates how some of these durable forces have played out in Session Road, an iconic public space in Baguio City.