Baguio Cathedral: Our Lady of Atonement

Baguio Cathedral is located at Cathedral Loop near Session Road. It is most famous for its pink facade and 100-step stairway leading to where it stands. It is also known as Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, and is the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio.

What I loved most about this cathedral is its aura of majesty as it stands on its own overlooking the city proper. Thus, much to my disappointment when we returned in 2013, the cathedral has now a sprawling complex of stores and parking lots. While it is a sign of growth, I could only hoped that they should have retained its lordship over the small area it stands on. Another source of dissatisfaction was how the stairway to the cathedral now looked. Its entrance is sandwiched among commercial establishments that one could hardly notice its billboard as gateway to a holy and revered place. If you plan to go to Baguio, check out the photo below to make sure you know where the 100-step stairway is.

In any case, a visit to the cathedral is still worth one's spiritual time however times would change its look. Here are some more photos of the cathedral:

Bell Church: Baguio's Hidden Temples

The Bell Church in Baguio City is located near the border of La Trinidad. In fact, if you are coming from the city center, either by a car, cab or jeepney bound to La Trinidad, the Bell Church is right before the arch that says Welcome to La Trinidad.

There is no entrance fee to the Bell Church, but the compound is open from 7 AM to 5 PM only. Within its walls are several Taoist temples intricately adorned with bells and dragons. These pagoda structures line-up the slopes of a mountain side.

Here are few of the pictures I took from the Bell Church.