Baguio fever
Baguio has always been one of my favorite cities with the invigorating air. No place in this country can quite equal it in terms of the cool weather and mountainous scenery. Even if one factors in the long car ride, it is worth the trip once you reach your destination, decompress almost instantly, and certainly worth it for quality bonding time. Apparently, there were hordes of people who thought of the same idea and I would continuously bump into longtime friends and acquaintances at every turn.
The place to be was the Baguio Country Club, which was filled to capacity with people who wanted to seek colder weather from Manila’s warm air that didn’t seem to get any cooler as the month of December passed by. The busy social calendar highlighted a musical recital by the grandchildren of businessman Nanoy Ilusorio — Mariel I. Villarama performed special Tagalog songs that her grandfather loved, together with her Chilean violinist husband, Juan Munoz, and their six-year-old daughter Anita as well as with good-looking Ilusorio grandson Max I. Bildner. It was a fitting way to honor their grandfather’s 100th birthday. Since I know the family well, I joked them that the musical genes bypassed tito Nanoy but certainly gained a huge foothold on the younger generation since Mariel is an accomplished international pianist and her young daughter will be following in her mama’s footsteps.
For rock and roll enthusiasts, the club’s spacious verandah was abuzz with RJ Jacinto’s open-air show on the golf course. Young and old alike lined up hours ahead to be able to save a seat or just stand up to shake their booties. It was the best way to bridge the generation gap with parents showing their children the dance steps of their time. 
National Artist Ben Cabrera was given an honorary membership by the club and he joked that he could now learn to play golf and perhaps take a breather from working on his in-demand art pieces.
BenCab’s breathtaking world-class museum is a must-see for all Baguio visitors. Located just 15 minutes away from the city’s center, the museum will awe visitors with exhibits of the artist’s work, Philippine masters, Ifugao antiques, and up-and-coming painters in a scenic setting that will make one appreciate art and nature at the same time.
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For more information on the BenCab museum: Tel /Fax: (+63 74) 442 7165 or http://bencabmuseum.org.
For comments and ideas, please e-mail: jacinto.fa@gmail.com
