BLISTT (informally, Metro Baguio) is an agglomeration of the city of
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class 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 corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of the province of
Benguet
Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet; ilo, Probinsia ti Benguet; ), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the islan ...
, namely:
La Trinidad,
Itogon,
Sablan,
Tuba, and
Tublay.
Long proposed and supported by the
NEDA-Regional Development Council-Cordillera, it as one of twelve defined
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
s in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. 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 (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
and
Metro Cebu, is not an administrative political unit but an agglomeration of independent
local government units
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
(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 struck the island of Luzon in the Philippines at 4:26 p.m. on July 16 ( PDT) or 3:26 p.m. ( PST) with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent'') and produced a 1 ...
devastated Baguio.
Supported by a
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
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 n ...
in the city. The concept was not supported by the component
Benguet
Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet; ilo, Probinsia ti Benguet; ), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the islan ...
municipalities of
La Trinidad,
Itogon,
Sablan, and
Tuba 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 Regional Development Councils (RDCs) are the highest policy-making body governing the administrative regions of the Philippines. They serve as the subnational counterpart of the National Economic and Development Authority. All but two (Metro Manila ...
of the
Cordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR; ilo, Rehion/Deppaar Administratibo ti Kordiliera; fil, Rehiyong Pampangasiwaan ng Cordillera), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera (), is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
(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 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, 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 (
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 Philippi ...
)
*
DZWX Bombo Radyo 1035 (
Bombo Radyo Philippines
Bombo Radyo Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a Bombo Radyo Philippines) is a Philippine radio network of the ''Florete Group of Companies'', which also manages banking and pawnshop operations. Its main office and headquarters are located at Florete Bldg., 24 ...
)
*
RPN DZBS Radyo Ronda 1368 (
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 the flagship media property of Nine Media Corporation of the ALC Group of Companies; along with the Pre ...
)
FM Stations
*
89.5 Star FM (
Bombo Radyo Philippines
Bombo Radyo Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a Bombo Radyo Philippines) is a Philippine radio network of the ''Florete Group of Companies'', which also manages banking and pawnshop operations. Its main office and headquarters are located at Florete Bldg., 24 ...
)
*
RJ FM 91.1 (
Rajah Broadcasting Network)
*
91.9 Easy Rock (
Manila Broadcasting Company
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) is a radio and television network in the Philippines. MBC is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusement park Star City. Its AM fla ...
)
*
Barangay FM 92.7 (
GMA Network, Inc.
GMA Network, Inc., commonly known as GMA, is a Philippine media company based in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. It is primarily involved in radio and television broadcasting, with subsidiaries dealing in various media related businesses. ...
)
*
93.7 Radyo Pilipinas (
Philippine Broadcasting Service) (former AM frequency of 999 kHz from 1965 to 2021)
*
94.3 FMR (
Philippine Collective Media Corporation
Philippine Collective Media Corporation (PCMC; officially known in their documents as Philippine CollectiveMedia Corporation) is a Philippine broadcast media company. Its headquarters are located in Makati, with offices in Fairview, Quezon Ci ...
)
*
95.1 Love Radio (
Manila Broadcasting Company
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) is a radio and television network in the Philippines. MBC is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusement park Star City. Its AM fla ...
)
*
95.9 Big Sound FM (
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 (
Beta Broadcasting System)
*
Cool 97.5 (UBC Media, Inc.)
*
98.7 Z-Radio (
University of Baguio
The University of Baguio (UB; Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Baguio''), formerly Baguio Technical and Commercial Institute (Baguio Tech), is a private, Filipino, multidisciplinary, autonomous university in Baguio, Philippines. It was founded by Fernan ...
& Benguet Broadcasting Corporation)
*
99.9 Country (
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 Philippi ...
)
*
Radyo5 102.3 News FM (
Nation Broadcasting Corporation)
*
MOR 103.1 (
ABS-CBN Corporation
ABS-CBN Corporation is a Filipino media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment and media conglomerate in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation which is owned by t ...
; now defunct)
*
iFM 103.9 (
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 Q Radio (
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, Sta ...
)
*
107.1 MemoRieS FM (
Primax Broadcasting Network
Primax Broadcasting Network is a broadcast radio network in the Philippines. Its main office is located at 10th Floor, Jacinta Bldg. II, EDSA, Makati. The network is owned by the Yabut family (original owners of Nation Broadcasting Corporation pr ...
)
TV Stations
*
ABS-CBN Baguio Channel 3 (now defunct)
*
IBC Baguio Channel 6
*
PTV Baguio Channel 8
*
GMA Baguio Channel 10 (via Dagupan's TV station)
*
RPN Baguio Channel 12
*
GTV Baguio Channel 22
*
Hope Channel Philippines Baguio Channel 24 (via Dagupan's TV Station)
*
BEAM TV Baguio Channel 26
*
TV5 Baguio Channel 28
*One Sports Baguio Channel 36
*
GNN Channel 44
Cable & Satellite TV Providers
*
Sky Cable Baguio - (
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class 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 ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
,
La Trinidad,
Sablan &
Tuba)
*Comclark Cable TV Network - (
Itogon &
Tublay)
*A. B. Bejerano Cable TV - (
Tuba)
*
Cignal TV - (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 with t ...
- (Metro Baguio)
Newspapers
*Baguio Midland Courier
*
Sun Star Baguio
*Herald Express
*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 bro ...
*
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 nationa ...
*
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 ...
*Brigada News Philippines - Newspaper Baguio Edition
Transportation
On land
Three main access roads lead to the city of Baguio from the lowlands;
Kennon Road,
Aspiras-Palispis Highway (formerly Marcos Highway), and
Naguilian Road
President Elpidio Quirino Highway (often shortened as Quirino Highway), formerly known and still referred to as Naguilian Road and Baguio–Bauang Road, is a Philippine major highway in northern Luzon that runs from the city of Baguio in the provi ...
(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 is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...
in
La Union
La Union (), officially the Province of La Union ( ilo, Probinsia ti La Union; Kankanaey'': Probinsyan di La Union;'' Ibaloi'': Probinsya ne La Union;'' pag, Luyag/Probinsia na La Union; Tagalog'': Lalawigan ng La Union),'' is a province in th ...
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
Agoo, officially the Municipality of Agoo ( ilo, Ili ti Agoo; pag, Baley na Agoo; fil, Bayan ng Agoo), is a 1st class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,028 people.
Ag ...
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, 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 (also known as the "Mountain Trail"), which leads north through the mountainous portion of the
Cordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR; ilo, Rehion/Deppaar Administratibo ti Kordiliera; fil, Rehiyong Pampangasiwaan ng Cordillera), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera (), is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
. The municipality of
Tublay, situated at the north of La Trinidad, is likewise traversed by the Halsema Highway.
Another access to Baguio from
Aritao
Aritao, officially the Municipality of Aritao ( gad, Ili na Aritao; ilo, Ili ti Aritao; tl, Bayan ng Aritao), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,197 ...
in the
Nueva Vizcaya 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
Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Inc. (PRBL) is a provincial bus company in the Philippines. It was founded in 1946 and is one of the oldest bus companies in the country. The company's area of coverage extends from Metro Manila to Baguio and northern p ...
,
Dangwa Tranco
''Dangwa'' is a Philippine television drama romance fantasy series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr., Adolf Alix Jr., it stars Janine Gutierrez. It premiered on October 26, 2015 on the network's morning line up. The series co ...
,
Dagupan Bus,
Victory Liner
Victory Liner Inc. (VLI) is one of the largest provincial bus companies operating in the Philippines, servicing routes mainly to the provinces of Central Luzon which includes Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan and Northern Luzon which includes Benguet ...
,
Partas,
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, and
Saulog Transit
Saulog Transit Inc. is a bus transportation company in the Philippines servicing routes between Metro Manila, Cavite and Central Luzon.
Etymology
Saulog Transit Inc. was named after its founder, the late Eliseo Basa Saulog. Eliseo was fondly ca ...
.
[ Baguio#Transportation]
By air
Loakan Airport
Loakan Airport ( ilo, Pagtayaban ti Loakan, fil, Paliparan ng Loakan) 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). L ...
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, a body of the
Department of Transportation and Communications
The Department of Transportation (DOTr; fil, Kagawaran ng Transportasyon) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation systems as effe ...
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.
References
{{coord missing, Philippines
Baguio
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...