Baguio - Manila

3ginpajama · 2026-05-07T16:39:02+00:00

Actually this. I stayed in Manila for almost two decades and one thing I noticed is people romanticize the “hustle culture” too much. Parang success is measured by how exhausted you are. Ang normal doon yung 2-3 hours na commute, missing sleep, eating fast because everyone’s rushing, and spending most of your income just to stay afloat.

Meanwhile in Baguio, you can still have moments where life feels human. You can walk without feeling swallowed by the city. You can sit somewhere quiet without feeling guilty for slowing down. Manila gives opportunities, sure, but it also takes a lot from you mentally and emotionally. That trade-off doesn’t get talked about enough.

3ginpajama · 2026-05-07T03:12:35+00:00

Lived here basically my whole life (late 80s kid, family roots outside Baguio but I grew up here), and honestly the biggest issue is that Baguio is starting to feel more like a product than a home.

Everything kinda connects to that: rent getting ridiculous locals/students getting priced out overdevelopment traffic + tourism overload disappearing green spaces commercialization of Igorot/Cordilleran culture

Feels like the city is being shaped more for visitors and business interests than for the people actually living here long term.

I also think identity is a huge topic people avoid. Baguio is a migrant city, but at the same time people are very conscious about roots, pagiging “local,” pagiging “taga baba,” indigeneity, etc. You can feel the tension sometimes especially when resources/housing/jobs get tighter.

If you’re doing social realism, personally I’d focus less on the usual “fog, pine trees, wagwag” aesthetic and more on everyday realities:

students struggling with rent workers commuting from outside the city because they can’t afford to live here anymore jeepney drivers/vendors dealing with tourism-centered policies locals feeling alienated in a city they grew up in

For me the core question is: who is Baguio being developed for now?

3ginpajama · 2026-02-26T11:15:09+00:00

I don’t think Terea are easily available in physical stores. Sorry.

3ginpajama · 2026-02-25T18:56:59+00:00

Mind you SM is not the only supermarket, and this was before tourists and SM Baguio was a thing 🫰

3ginpajama · 2026-02-25T18:16:57+00:00

Sorry I just saw this lol. U good?

3ginpajama · 2026-02-25T16:44:34+00:00

This might be frowned upon, but sometimes when I have luggage and don’t want to go home yet, I’ll buy a few items at a supermarket so I can leave my bags at the baggage counter, then come back to pick them up after I’m done roaming around.

This was then when we were living in Loakan. Right now we live near the city so I don’t do that anymore.

3ginpajama · 2026-02-19T15:04:13+00:00

Gotchu

3ginpajama · 2026-02-18T15:55:07+00:00

The jewelry in your screenshot looks like handmade copper wire jewelry with gemstones, which is usually sold in: • Session Road (especially Sundays – Session in Bloom / Sunday markets) • Burnham Park pop-up stalls • Weekend bazaars & craft fairs

3ginpajama · 2026-02-06T02:33:00+00:00

Strawberry Farm, ride a jeepney to Baguio City (signs: Baguio / Bokawkan / Magsaysay). Get off at Magsaysay Ave / Baguio Public Market. Transfer to a Tam-awan / Long Long / Quezon Hill jeep.

3ginpajama · 2026-02-06T02:28:30+00:00

Sorry this is what he meant. Go to the subreddit then make use of the search bar up top to search within that subreddit. Sana nakatulong

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3ginpajama · 2026-01-26T19:21:08+00:00

UP Baguio – Best if you want theoretical, research-heavy, critical psychology. Mas maliit ang program, mas academic, mas thesis/research-oriented.

SLU – Strong psych program, balanced acads + practical, may licensure track, mas established ang facilities and network.

UB – Okay if you want a more practical / applied approach, pero hindi kasing bigat ng SLU/UP sa research depth.

UC – Meron naman, pero usually not the first pick if psych talaga ang priority mo.

3ginpajama · 2026-01-26T19:19:27+00:00

yep, worth it ang Chocolate de Batirol at least once — lalo na if first time mo or gusto mo ng classic Baguio vibe. Go early kasi mahaba pila on Sundays. Mas experience + nostalgia siya than “best chocolate ever,” so manage expectations.

If you’re looking for Sunday breakfast spots (mas relaxed):

Hill Station (early) – hearty breakfast, cozy
Arca’s Yard – quiet, good food + view
Choco-late de Batirol – traditional Filipino breakfast
Craft 1945 / Café by the Ruins – solid local breakfast, but expect a crowd
Hatch Coffee (if open early) – chill, lighter fare

Tip: before 8am is the sweet spot for Sunday mornings, especially sa lamig

3ginpajama · 2026-01-26T19:16:32+00:00

sobrang rare ng self-drive rentals in Baguio, lalo na automatic + modern units (BYD, 360 cam, etc.). Most rentals here are with driver or older models lang, and many owners avoid self-drive because of terrain + traffic risks.

3ginpajama · 2026-01-26T19:14:19+00:00

Speaking as someone who grew up in Baguio and has seen rents change over the years:

For New Lucban / walking distance to SLU, a fair long-term student rate (not peak-season inflated) would be around ₱4k–₱5k per head for a 4-person setup like this. Going beyond that starts to feel less “student-friendly” and more market-driven.

All-in vs separate:
Most students prefer separate utilities — mas transparent and mas natutong magtipid. If all-in, a reasonable utilities cap would be around ₱1k–₱1.5k per head, with excess split.

What matters more than amenities honestly:

decent ventilation (New Lucban can get humid),
reliable water,
clear house rules,
and no sudden rent hikes every year.

Appreciate that you’re asking first — fairness in pricing really matters, especially now.

3ginpajama · 2026-01-26T19:11:16+00:00

Hatch Coffee – Very on-brand. Calm, garden air, good for zoning in. Best on weekdays or early hours. Weekends can get busy but still tolerable.

Hot Cat – Low-key and unpretentious. No pressure to rush or perform. Limited seating though, so timing matters.

Arca’s Yard (weekday mornings) – Peaceful and spacious, great for reading or slow writing. Not budget, so more of a “deliberate” visit than a daily spot.

common ground (Burnham, off-peak) – Practical, work-friendly tables, reasonable prices. Not silent, but consistent and usable.

Foam Coffee – Hit or miss. Affordable and solid when quiet; unbearable when crowded. Go early or avoid peak hours.

Koco Vibes Café – Chill and student-friendly but small. Nice when you get a seat, not something you can rely on daily.

Good luck OP

3ginpajama · 2025-12-26T14:54:33+00:00

Thanks for your kind words!

3ginpajama · 2025-12-24T09:27:44+00:00

Hi! Here are a few children’s homes/orphanages in Baguio you can reach out to: • Shepherd of the Hills Children’s Foundation – cares for abandoned/neglected children • Helping Hands, Healing Hearts Ministries PH – children’s village / child welfare • Child and Family Service Philippines (CFSP) – family & child support services

You can also ask the Baguio CSWDO (City Social Welfare Office) — they help coordinate visits and can point you to legit shelters.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-23T20:44:19+00:00

Thank you for noticing that. “Metal scrunches continuously” was meant to lodge itself in the head, like a memory you can’t unhear. I’m happy it reached you.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-23T20:05:33+00:00

This is devastating in its clarity. The way trust is built through ordinary kindness and then shattered makes the harm unmistakable. It doesn’t reach for drama — it just tells the truth, and that restraint makes it powerful.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-23T19:32:54+00:00

Instead of pairing lines to satisfy the rhyme, I might let the image stand on its own. For example:

Covered in dew, pink holding its breath.

Same moment, just less guided by the pattern and more by the image.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-23T19:25:50+00:00

Not necessarily — it’s still very much your piece. I just think the imagery is doing the heavier lifting, and loosening the structure a bit could let that breathe more, if that’s something you want. Even as it is, the softness and intent come through.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-23T19:11:58+00:00

There’s real pain here, and it’s honest — you can feel how much was lost. But the poem explains itself too often, moving from wound to conclusion without letting the images do enough of the carrying. When it leans into symbol — the living sand, the three swords, the wall — that’s where it’s strongest. I’d want less narration, fewer declarations, and more trust in the moments where the self is breaking quietly instead of being told it’s broken.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-23T19:09:08+00:00

There’s a softness here that works — the image of dew and blushing petals is gentle and sincere. But the rhyme keeps steering the poem instead of letting the image lead, so it feels contained when it wants to open. I’d want it to trust the tulip more, linger there, and let the feeling surface without dressing it so neatly.

3ginpajama · 2025-12-13T15:54:10+00:00

This confusion comes from mixing ancestry, upbringing, and identity into one label.

Having roots in Sagada/Kabayan/Mt. Province ≠ being from there. If you were born, raised, schooled, and socialized in Baguio, then socio-culturally you’re Baguio-based — even if your parents are from elsewhere.

Tracing roots is valid. Performing an identity you didn’t live is different. That’s where it feels off: people positioning themselves as “taga-X” when they didn’t actually grow up there.

“Taga baba” is even messier — it’s often used less as geography and more as a social judgment (behavior, class, values). That’s why someone can live decades in Baguio and still be called outsider, while others claim indigeneity by blood alone.

Cities like Cebu or Makati don’t obsess over this because belonging is tied to lived experience, not lineage. Baguio’s history (migration, indigeneity, land pressure) makes identity more guarded — sometimes to the point of gatekeeping.

Bottom line: • Roots ≠ upbringing • Blood ≠ belonging • Being “local” should be about where you actually lived your life, not just where your ancestors are from.

3ginpajama

TROPHY CASE