Metro Baguio, also known as BLISTT, is an agglomeration of the city of
Baguio
Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
and five
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of the
Philippine
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
province of
Benguet
Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital cit ...
, namely:
La Trinidad,
Itogon,
Sablan,
Tuba
The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...
, and
Tublay.
Long proposed and supported by the
NEDA-Regional Development Council-Cordillera, it was previously defined between 2007 and 2017 as one of twelve
metropolitan areas
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metropolitan area usually ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. The original "BLIST" long existed as a concept since its inception in August 1990, a month after the
1990 earthquake which devastated the city of Baguio and other surrounding areas,
and only existed as an informal reference to the area. The concept was later amended into "BLISTT" in 2009, which included the municipality of Tublay, despite not being adjacent to the city of Baguio.
It was officially established after a signing of a
memorandum of agreement by the mayors of the component local government units.
Component local government units
BLISTT, like
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
and
Metro Cebu
Metropolitan Cebu, or simply Metro Cebu (; ), is the main urban center of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Metro Cebu is located along the central eastern portion of the island including the nearby island of Mactan. It accounts for 19. ...
, is not an administrative political unit but an agglomeration of independent
local government units
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
# Regions () are mostly u ...
(LGUs), the third level government in the Philippine political system.
History
The original BLIST concept was visualized by the ''key stakeholders'' in August 1990 after the
1990 Luzon earthquake
The 1990 Luzon earthquake occurred on July 16 at 4:26 p.m. (Daylight saving time in the Philippines, PDT) or 3:26 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time, PST) on the densely populated island of Luzon in the Philippines. The shock had a surfac ...
devastated Baguio.
Supported by a
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
grant in 1992, the BLIST Urban Plan was completed in 1994, which aimed to reconstruct the city following the earthquake and to reduce
overcrowding
Overcrowding or crowding is the condition where more people are located within a given space than is considered tolerable from a safety and health perspective. Safety and health perspectives depend on current environments and on local cultural ...
in the city. The concept was not supported by the component
Benguet
Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital cit ...
municipalities of
La Trinidad,
Itogon,
Sablan, and
Tuba
The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...
such that it was prepared with little consultation, and was primarily developed for the sole convenience of Baguio.
In 2009, the municipality of
Tublay in the province of Benguet was included in the new BLISTT plan as revived by the
Regional Development Council of the
Cordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR; ; ), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera (), is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, situated within the island of Luzon. It is the only Landlocked co ...
(RDC-CAR).
The concept had long been pushed through by the city government of Baguio, for the prime purpose of alleviating the city's overpopulation and decongestion problems.
It was criticized by other government officials as heavily geared towards the alleviating of the problems of Baguio.
It was officially established after a signing of a
memorandum of agreement by the mayors of the component LGUs.
The first set of council officials were elected on February 27, 2014, with Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan as chairman, Sablan Mayor Arthur Baldo as co-chairman, La Trinidad Mayor Edna Tabanda as Treasurer, and Tublay Mayor Ruben Paoad as Secretary, all of whom would serve for a one-year term.
Geography and climate
Geography
Most of the metropolitan area, like Baguio, is located some 1,500 meters above sea level, nestled within the Cordillera Central mountain range in northern Luzon. It covers a total area of 1094.79 square kilometers.
Climate
BLISTT features a
subtropical highland climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...
under the Köppen climate classification. The area is known for its mild climate. Owing to its high elevation, the temperature is 8 degrees Celsius lower compared to the average temperature of the rest of the country. Average temperature ranges from 15 to 23 degrees Celsius. It is usually lower during the late and early months of the year. The lowest recorded temperature in Baguio was 6.3 degrees Celsius on January 18, 1961. This is in contrast to the all-time high of 30.4 degrees Celsius recorded on March 15, 1988, during the 1988 El Niño season. Baguio seldom exceeds 26 degrees Celsius even during the warmest part of the year.
Like many other cities with a subtropical highland climate, BLISTT sees noticeably less precipitation during its “low-sun” months. The metropolitan area though sees an extraordinary amount of precipitation during its wetter months, with the months of July and August seeing on average more than 1,000 mm of rain. BLISTT averages over 4500 mm of precipitation annually.
Government
Unlike Metro Manila, BLISTT, before the signing of the
MOA
Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand.
Moa or MOA may also refer to:
Arts and media
* Metal Open Air, a Brazilian heavy metal festival
* MOA Museum of Art in Japan
* The Moas, New Zealand film awards
People
* Moa ...
, didn't have a government that directly administered the area.
However, on February 27, 2014, the first set of council officials were elected, with Baguio Mayor ''Mauricio Domogan'' as chairman, Sablan Mayor ''Arthur Baldo'' as co-chairman, La Trinidad Mayor ''Edna Tabanda'' as Treasurer, and Tublay Mayor ''Ruben Paoad'' as Secretary, all of whom would serve for a one-year term.
Media
All Metro Baguio's Radio and Television stations, Cable and Satellite TV providers and broadcast transmitters and Local Newspapers.
;AM Stations
*
DZWT Radyo Totoo 540 (DZWT;
Catholic Media Network
Catholic Media Network, also known as CMN, is a Catholic radio network in the Philippines. CMN serves as the broadcasting arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philipp ...
)
*
DZWX Bombo Radyo 1035 (DZWX;
Bombo Radyo Philippines
Bombo Radyo Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a Bombo Radyo Philippines) is a Media in the Philippines, Philippine radio network of the ''Florete Group of Companies'', which also manages banking and pawnshop operations. Its main office and headquarters are l ...
/People's Broadcasting Service)
*
RPN DZBS Radyo Ronda 1368 (DZBS;
Radio Philippines Network
Radio Philippines Network, Inc. (RPN) is a Philippine Media of the Philippines, television and radio company based in Quezon City. It is currently owned through majority share by Nine Media Corporation of the ALC Group of Companies; along wi ...
)
;FM Stations
*
89.5 Star FM (DWIM;
Bombo Radyo Philippines
Bombo Radyo Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a Bombo Radyo Philippines) is a Media in the Philippines, Philippine radio network of the ''Florete Group of Companies'', which also manages banking and pawnshop operations. Its main office and headquarters are l ...
/People's Broadcasting Service)
*
RJ FM 91.1 (relay station of
RJFM Manila) (DWDJ;
Rajah Broadcasting Network
Rajah Broadcasting Network, Inc. (which stands for RAmon JAcinto Holdings) is a Philippine television and radio network owned by guitarist-singer-businessman Ramon "RJ" Jacinto. The network's studio headquarters is located at Ventures I Build ...
)
*
91.9 Easy Rock (DZYS;
Manila Broadcasting Company
The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), doing business as the MBC Media Group, is a multimedia company in the Philippines. It is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusem ...
)
*
Barangay FM 92.7 (DWRA;
GMA Network, Inc.)
*
DZEQ Radyo Pilipinas 93.7 (DZEQ;
Presidential Broadcast Service
The Presidential Broadcast Service - Bureau of Broadcast Services (PBS-BBS) (Filipino: ''Pampanguluhang Serbisyong Pambrodkast - Kawanihan ng mga Serbisyong Pambrodkast''), is a state radio network owned by the Philippine government under th ...
)
*
94.3 FM Radio (
Philippine Collective Media Corporation
Philippine Collective Media Corporation (PCMC; officially known in their documents as Philippine CollectiveMedia Corporation) is a Media in the Philippines, Philippine broadcast media company. Its headquarters are located in Barangay South Tri ...
)
*
95.1 Love Radio (DWMB;
Manila Broadcasting Company
The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), doing business as the MBC Media Group, is a multimedia company in the Philippines. It is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusem ...
)
*
95.9 Big Sound FM (DWBG; Capricom Production and Management/
Vanguard Radio Network
Vanguard Radio Network (VRN) is a Philippine radio network. Its corporate office is located at Rm. 614, Cityland Shaw Tower, St. Francis St. cor. Shaw Blvd., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, and its main headquarters is located at Pan-Philippine Hi ...
)
*
96.7 K-Lite (DWSK;
Beta Broadcasting System)
*
Cool 97.5 (DWLY; UBC Media, Inc.)
*
98.7 Z-Radio (DWUB; Sphere Entertainment)
*
99.9 Country (DZWR;
Catholic Media Network
Catholic Media Network, also known as CMN, is a Catholic radio network in the Philippines. CMN serves as the broadcasting arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philipp ...
)
*
102.3 FM Radio (relay station of
FM Radio Manila) (DZYB;
Nation Broadcasting Corporation
Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) is a Philippine radio and television broadcast company established in 1963. As of December 2013, NBC is a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund. NBC's radio and t ...
and
Philippine Collective Media Corporation
Philippine Collective Media Corporation (PCMC; officially known in their documents as Philippine CollectiveMedia Corporation) is a Media in the Philippines, Philippine broadcast media company. Its headquarters are located in Barangay South Tri ...
)
*
MOR 103.1 (defunct) (DZRR;
ABS-CBN Corporation
ABS-CBN Corporation is a Mass media in the Philippines, Filipino Media conglomerate, media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment television and film production, Broadcast syndication, progra ...
)
*
iFM 103.9 (DWHB;
Radio Mindanao Network
Radio Mindanao Network, Inc. (RMN), d.b.a. RMN Networks or RMN Network, is a Filipino media company based in Makati, Philippines. It is primarily involved is one of the largest radio networks. Its corporate office is located at the 4th Floor ...
)
*
105.1 Brigada News FM (DZBM;
Mareco Broadcasting Network
Mareco Broadcasting Network, Inc. is a radio network in the Philippines. Mareco stands for Mabuhay Records Corporation as its parent company also owns Villar Records and Mabuhay Records. Its headquarters is located at #6 Tirad Pass Street, St ...
/
Brigada Mass Media Corporation
The Brigada Group of Companies is a Filipino conglomerate, with interests in entertainment and consumer goods. editions in Mindanao, a network of FM stations across the Philippines, one TV station, distribution of herbal food supplements, ...
)
*
107.1 MemoRieS FM (DZLL; Primax Broadcasting Network)
;TV Stations
*
ABS-CBN Baguio (defunct) (analog: Channel 3 and digital: channel 30)
*
IBC Benguet (analog: Channel 6)
*
PTV Cordillera (Baguio) (analog: Channel 8 and digital: Channel 42)
*
GMA Benguet (analog: Channel 10 and digital: Channel 38)
*
RPN Benguet (analog: Channel 12 and digital: Channel 19)
*
GTV Benguet (analog: Channel 22 and digital: Channel 38)
*
Hope Channel Philippines Benguet (analog: Channel 24 and digital: Channel 44)
*
BEAM TV Baguio Channel 26
*
CLTV 36 (digital: Channel 36)
*
TV5 Benguet (analog: Channel 28 and digital: Channel 51)
*
ALLTV Baguio (analog: Channel 3 and digital: Channel 30)
*
A2Z Benguet (digital: Channel 32)
*
Light TV (digital: Channel 32)
*
One Sports Benguet (analog: Channel 36 and digital: Channel 51)
*
One Media (digital: Channel 44)
*
DZRH News Television
DZRH News Television (stylized as DZRHTV or RHTV in capital letters) is a Philippine pay television news channel owned by MBC Media Group. Its programs are primarily from MBC Media Group's flagship radio station DZRH and station-produced pro ...
(digital Channel 25)
*
DepEd TV Beaguet (digital Channel 41.7)
*TPN Digital Channel 45
*
Net 25 Benguet (digital: Channel 46)
*
INC TV Benguet (digital: Channel 46)
;Cable & Satellite TV Providers
*
Sky Cable Baguio - (
Baguio
Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
&
La Trinidad)
*Mountainview Satellite Corporation - (
Baguio
Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
,
La Trinidad &
Sablan)
*Liberty Cable TV Network - (
Itogon &
Tublay)
*A. B. Bejerano Cable TV - (
Tuba
The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...
)
*
Cignal TV
Cignal TV, Inc. (formerly known as GV Broadcasting System), also known by its legal trading name Mediascape Inc., is a Filipino media and telecommunications firm in the Philippines. A wholly owned subsidiary of the media company MediaQuest Ho ...
- (Metro Baguio)
*
G Sat
G-Sat (''Global Satellite'') is a subscription-based direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service commercially available in the Philippines. G-Sat is owned by Global Satellite Technology Services (GSTS), registered in the Philippines wi ...
- (Metro Baguio)
;Newspapers
*Baguio Midland Courier
*
Sun Star Baguio
*Zig Zag Weekly
*Herald Express
*Amianan Balita Ngayon
*
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...
*
Manila Bulletin
The ''Manila Bulletin'' () (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...
*Tempo
*Balita
*
The Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
*
Pilipino Star Ngayon
''Pilipino Star Ngayon'', self-styled as ''Pilipino Star NGAYON'' and first known as ''Ang Pilipino Ngayon'', is the leading tabloid newspaper of daily nationwide circulation in the Philippines. It is written and published in Filipino, the natio ...
*
People's Journal
''People's Journal'' is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published by the ''Philippine Journalists Incorporated''. Augusto "Gus" Villanueva,(with interviews to key persons).'' Retrieved June 9, 2018. its former editor-in-chief, and ...
Transportation
On land
Three main access roads lead to the city of Baguio from the lowlands;
Kennon Road
Kennon Road, also known as the Rosario–Baguio Road, is a two lane roadway in Benguet province in the Philippines connecting the mountain city of Baguio in Benguet to the lowland town of Rosario in La Union province. Originally called Benguet ...
,
Aspiras-Palispis Highway (formerly Marcos Highway), and
Naguilian Road (also known as Quirino Highway). Kennon Road starts from
Rosario
Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...
in
La Union
La Union (), officially the Province of La Union (; ; ; ; ; ), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the San Fernando, La Union, City of San Fernando, is the most ...
province, and winds through a narrow, steep valley. Although perilous and being prone to landslides during rainy season, it is the fastest route to Baguio from the lowlands, and offers a scenic view. Aspiras Highway, which starts from
Agoo, La Union and connects to Palispis Highway at Benguet-La Union highway border, and Naguilian Road, which starts from
Bauang, La Union, are longer but safer routes than Kennon Road. For this, they are preferred by coaches, buses and lorries. All three major highways traverse the municipality of
Tuba
The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...
, also known as the "''Gateway to Baguio''".
A significant portion of Naguilian Road covers the municipality of
Sablan.
From
Itogon, Baguio is connected by the
Baguio-Bua-Itogon Road, while
La Trinidad's main access route to the city is via the
Halsema Highway
The Halsema Highway (also known as the Benguet–Mountain Province Road, the Baguio–Bontoc Road, and the Mountain Trail) is a national secondary highway in the Philippines. Situated within the Cordillera Central range in northern Luzon, it st ...
(also known as the "Mountain Trail"), which leads north through the mountainous portion of the
Cordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR; ; ), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera (), is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, situated within the island of Luzon. It is the only Landlocked co ...
. The municipality of
Tublay, situated at the north of La Trinidad, is likewise traversed by the Halsema Highway.
Another access to Baguio from
Aritao in the
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya (; ; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya''; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital and largest town is Bayo ...
province passes through Itogon, but is less traveled. The road is not well-maintained, and public transportation through this route is not as regular.
Several bus lines link Baguio with Manila and the rest of the lowlands. Most transportation companies also offer express and air-conditioned buses at a much higher fare, though some minibuses offer cheaper fares. Bus services that operate in Baguio include
Philippine Rabbit,
Dangwa Tranco,
Dagupan Bus, Pangasinan Solid North Transit.
Victory Liner
Victory Liner, Inc. (VLI) is a bus company in the Philippines that was established in 1945 by José Hernandez, is recognized as one of the primary providers of bus transportation in the Philippines, servicing key locations across Luzon. Initial ...
,
Partas,
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
, and
Saulog Transit
Saulog Transit Inc. is a bus company operating in the Philippines. It is owned by Genesis Transport, servicing provincial routes between Metro Manila, Cavite and Central Luzon.
Etymology
Saulog Transit was named after its founder, the late Eli ...
.
By air
Loakan Airport
Loakan Airport serves the general area of Baguio, Philippines. It is classified as a Class 2 principal (minor domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). Loakan Airport, the city's only airport, was built in 193 ...
is the lone airport serving the general area. The airport is classified as a trunkline airport, or a major commercial domestic airport, by the
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP, ; ) is the civil aviation authority of the Philippines and is responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel. The agency also in ...
, a body of the
Department of Transportation and Communications
The Department of Transportation (DOTr; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation systems as effective instruments for national re ...
that is responsible for the operations of not only this airport but also of all other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports. It is about 10 minutes by car from the city center going south. Due to the limited length of the runway which is 1,802 meters or 5,912 feet, it is restricted to commuter size aircraft. This perhaps contributed to the city's declining competitiveness against other medium-sized cities around the country. The airport is used primarily by helicopters, turbo-prop and piston engine aircraft, although on rare occasion light business jets (LBJ) have flown into the airport.
Loakan Airport reopened on December 16, 2022, with
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.
Philippine ...
launching the first regular commercial flight to the airport in decades to and from
Mactan–Cebu International Airport
Mactan–Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is the main international airport serving Metro Cebu and is the main gateway to the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. Located on a site in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan island, it is the secon ...
on the day of the reopening.
References
{{coord missing, Philippines
Baguio
Baguio
Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...