Diplomat Hotel: Historical Misery

A bit of History: Dominican Hills was built in May 1915 that served as a vacation house in Baguio City. A month later it was transformed into a school called Collegio del Santissimo Rosario, to take advantage of tax excemptions. However, due to the minimal number of enrollees, it was reverted back to its original state of being a vacation house sanitarium.

World War II came and it served as a refugee camp. It endured several bombings and brutal killings of nuns and priests who assisted the victims. It was eventually damaged when the Japanese Army Liberation Forces bombed the area, and restoration took place only after the war in 1947.

In 1973, Dominican Hills was acquired by Tony Agpaoa and converted it into a 33-bedroom hotel with it's new name: Diplomat Hotel. Visitors were believed to have seen ghostly apparitions of nuns, priests and a white lady during their stay.

In 1987, with the passing of the owner, Diplomat Hotel ceased operations and the entire place was abandoned.

Much has been said about the strange experiences of people who live near the hotel. The white lady and all the other elements still roam around the halls and shouts of agony and loud banging echo along these empty walls as if re-enacting the brutal killings from the war. 

I entered the abandoned building without the slightest spec of fear of what I could possibly encounter in this "damned" place. My heart was in a whirlwind of emotions. Equipped with a short prayer and my camera, I began to shoot decaying walls, dark lit alleys and an empty courtyard. The cool breeze and the setting sun of Baguio at dusk adds to the eerie effect. Nothing unique, I suppose.

But the best shots I took that were only developed in my mind and can never be seen in any blog (not even mine) were mental snapshots of the ironies of how this place became so famous. Its dark past, the brutal slayings and the unrested spirits form a concoction of its tragic beauty that makes everyone so interested about the haunted hotel.

Face it, we are amused over their historical miseries . Maybe that's why they still haunt us. 

See full set on:  http://malubs9.multiply.com/links/item/12/Philippines_Haunted_Hotel_Baguio_City

Baguio City: Mt. Cabuyao

Last weekend I visited Baguio City hoping to find some good subjects to shoot. In my last visit two years ago, I only had with me a mental camera and took "mental shots" of places since I did not have a DSLR yet and wasn't into photography. Though i think those mental photos did not turn out right either.. So this time, albeit the numerous times I went to the City of Pines, I felt like a tourist again! And to make things more exciting, I went to the places I have never set my foot on (see image)

Radar on Mt. Cabuyao.

I have read articles and blogs that Mt Cabuyao and Mt Sto Tomas are the highest peaks in Baguio. From there you will have a 360-degree view of the entire city from the vantage point of God and clouds dance in different formations within your eye level. The road going there is a haven for hikers and mountain bikers, for its rugged and adventurous terrain and it wasn't a popular idea to bring a sedan. So I did.... It's nothing serious, really,  just a 45 degree or so uphill ride on rocks with the size of basketballs along a path fit for one vehicle at the edge of a cliff. I was literally driving with one eye shut and cursing myself for my rebelliousness.

The radar is seen from the city proper as two small ears on top of a mountain. They usually call it Mickey Mouse for resembling the ears of the Disney character.
 Upon reaching the summit, the "ears" were surprisingly huge, but the access to the picturesque view is blocked by a military facility. As I was looking for other locations for the quest for a good shot I noticed two angels at the other side of the fence serving as guards to heaven's balcony:  JC and Jjamppong.

They are brothers who live inside the compound as their parents work as caretakers to the facility. Their features are strikingly unique with  dark eyes, rosy cheeks and brown skin. These Mongolian-looking kids are just awesome subjects and too love to be photographed!

 I realized that capturing the right shots doesn't always come from the obvious. The element of surprise can create wonders. In my experience, I planned to go through the worst terrain uphill because my mind was set on scenic mountain shots of baguio. And now, these two kids, with nothing but pure emotions have just moved mountains from my perspective.