PNoy leaves Baguio

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  – President Benigno Aquino III skipped Baguio’s Rizal Day rites on Monday.

Motoring back to Tarlac,  the president who enjoyed full rest in the breezy City of Pines, “slipped” back to the lowlands also unnoticed reportedly on Sunday.

Taking a long break as he was advised, the president  took on no official function here since last week.

Aquino also stayed out of tbe public eye amid the  heavy turn out of tourists in front of the president’s official mansion  here since Christmas day. Some tourists have been hoping  that the president would step out from his official residence here  and take photos with him.

A little girl had a rare chance to take a “selfie” with  the president Sunday before  he headed to the lowlands.

City officials hurriedly prepared the Rizal Day commemoration here,  hoping the President would grace the occasion at the Rizal Park here.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan earlier said they made initial arrangements for the visit of the president and were awaiting  word to have an audience with him.

Aquino's sole public appearance here was when he jogged at the Philipipine Military Academy on Saturday, enjoying the 12.5 degrees Celsius chill.

State weather specialist Letty Dispo of the local Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration noted indications of the continuous drop in the city’s temperature in the coming weeks because of the northeast monsoon and the cold front which brings to the country the cold winds from Siberia and China.

“From the usual 15 to 17 degrees Celsius recorded by PAGASA daily, it suddenly dropped to 12.5 degrees this morning,” Dispo said.

The coldest temperature in the city was 6.3 degrees Celsius as recorded by PAGASA on January 18, 1961. - Artemio A. Dumlao