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| The gym is small but the equipment is complete. |
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| They have 2 treadmills and 1 elliptical. |
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| They have a Rox Gym and weights. |
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| The Rox Gym instruction manual posted on the wall. (I found it hard to follow.) |
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| My favorite part is having a view of the Le Monet garden while running on the treadmill. |
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| When you enter the gate, you can only enter the grounds up to this point. |
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| People can only explore the grounds up to the front |
The gate, the arched entrances and the stone wall facade are the ORIGINAL ones that survived the bombings during World War II. The Mansion house building itself was damaged and was rehabilitated in 1947.
(source: http://www.gov.ph/2011/01/03/the-mansion-house-baguio-city/)
" On December 30, 2008, the Mansion House marked its centenary with the unveiling of two historical markers (one in English, and the other containing the text translated in Filipino) detailing its history. On January 16, 2009, the board of the National Historical Institute, through Resolution No. 1, series of 2009, declared the Mansion House a National Historical Landmark."
(source: http://www.gov.ph/2011/01/03/the-mansion-house-baguio-city/)
This place has been the summer home of the Governor-General of the Philippines since 1908 and now the summer home of the President of the Philippines. But the structure you see now was built in 1947 because the old one was destroyed by the war.
Before it was built, the choice was to place the summer home of the Governor-General in the midst of official activities, where Baguio General Hospital is currently located, or to place it far from government activities, at Pacdal Plateau, called Outlook Point.
(source: http://malacanang.gov.ph/about/malacanang/mansion-house/)
When you actually see this place, you can understand why the builders chose Outlook Point.
You do not need to schedule it during their open hours (which is 9:00 AM - 5:00 pm) because the only difference in visiting it during open hours is that you can enter the gate and take an unobstructed photo of the house.
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| Click the photo above to see the panoramic view |
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| Click the photo above to see the panoramic view |
 BAGUIO: The Mansion Oval: The Best Place to Jog
When we went on vacation in Baguio, Iwas following a 41-day run streak initiated by Runner's World . I was determined not to miss a day of my run streak while on vacation so I researched the best place to run/jog. If I didn't find any place that suited my needs, my default place would have been the gym at SM City. I do not like to visit malls while on vacation, encounter crowds and traffic, so I was glad to find the Mansion Oval, which perfectly suited my needs.
Where is the Mansion Oval located:
The term Mansion Oval is actually a misnomer. The Mansion Oval is actually part of Wright Park. It is known as the Mansion Oval because it is located across the gate of the Mansion House, the summer home of the President of the Philippines. It's actually a paved road surrounding the Pool of Pines at Wright Park where locals run/walk/jog in the morning.
Why the Mansion Oval is the Best Place to Walk/Run/Jog:
1. It is relatively safe compared to other areas. Since the Mansion oval is across the Mansion House, there are guards present in the area. There's greater probability you'll be safe jogging in this area compared to other areas.
2. The oval is paved.
 
3. It is near food, particularly the strawberry taho.
The strawberry taho vendor is stationed near the gate of the Mansion house. In case you need a snack after your exercise, you can buy strawberry taho nearby. Check out my post: BAGUIO: Where to Find the Best Strawberry Taho  4. It is near a clean comfort room.
The comfort room is where the red mark is pointing to.
This means you can go sightseeing after you exercise.     |
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| This the strawberry taho we ate at Mines View Park. |
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| This is what a real strawberry taho should be, with chunks of strawberry in it and not just strawberry syrup. This costs 20 pesos, the same as the other one. |
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| It is sold in front of Mansion House (see the vendor on the left side of the "No Littering" sign) Hours the vendors are there: 6:00 AM-12:00 PM, 1:00 PM Note: I was able to see at least one of them at 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM. They disappear for lunch from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM. |
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| This is me eating strawberry taho in front of the Mansion House. |
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| At the left of the entrance is the Cemetery of Negativism, you walk along the path to reach Bell House. |
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You pay the following entrance fees to the Historical Core:Standard - 60 pesos Residents - 40 pesos Senior Citizens/Students - 30 pesos Photoshoot fee - 1000 pesos |
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| Bell House was named after Major General J. Franklin Bell "who lived in that house as the commanding General of the American Forces in the Philippines." From 1911-1914, "General Bell transformed camp John Hay from 'essentially a small convalescent facility into a major molitary resort' (Robert Reed)" |
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| The path to Bell House On the right is the totem pole you will see below |
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The details about the totem pole"Carved by Erneto Dul-ang, a succession of historical figures during the first half of the 20th century from a totem pole that once looked out over the top of scout hill." |
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The historical figures carved in the totem pole are those instrumental in the development of Baguio and Camp John Hay. Note that everyone of them are Americans. Only Emilio Aguinaldo is Filipino
The historical figures from the top: Admiral George Dewey, General Emilio Aguinaldo, President William Howard Taft, Secretary John Milton Hay, William Cameron Forbes, President Theodore Roosevelt, Major General Franklin Bell, Lt. Col. Lyman W. Kennon, Mayor James Halsema, General Douglas MacArthur.
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| Twin brass seals that used to adorn Camp John Hay's main gate It's now seen at the entrance of Bell House |
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| The living room of Bell House (Click the photo to see the panoramic view |
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| Programme of Camp John Hay Turnover Rites (July 1, 1991) National Anthem by Department of Tourism Chorale Invocation by Bishop Gabriel Reyes Welcome Remarks by Baguio City Mayor James Bugnosan Remarks by DFA Secretary Raul Manglapus Remarks by US Ambassador Nicholas Platt Exchange of Diplomatic Notes by Hon. Maglapus and Platt Closing Remarks by Tourism Acting Secretary Rafael Alunan |
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| Another view of the living room |
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| Click the photo to see a panaromic view |
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| Click the photo to see a panaromic view |
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| The terrace around Bell House |
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| "Major General Bell took a personal hand in the design and supervised the construction of Italian Garden and the amphitheater beside the commanding general's summer residence. It was built using indigenous Ifugao terracing technology, he harnessed the acoustic properties of the natural amphitheater." (taken from the description of Major General shown above) |
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| Click the photo to see a panaromic view of Bell Amphiteater |
