Baguio Botanical Garden

Baguio Botanical Garden
An overview of the gardens
Type	Urban
Location	Benguet, Cordillera, Philippines
Nearest city	Baguio
Coordinates	16°24′52.42381″N120°36′47.49145″E / 16.4145621694°N 120.6131920694°E / 16.4145621694; 120.6131920694
Owned by	Land Management Bureau [1]
Visitors	100,000 monthly [2] (in 2022)
Open	6AM-6PM
Status	Open
Collections	Dahlia , cactuses, and succulents

The Baguio Botanical Garden, formerly known as Imelda Park, is a botanical garden in Baguio, Philippines, located on Leonard Wood Road between Wright Park and Teacher's Camp. ^[2]

Names

The garden goes by a few different names, ^[1] including:

• Botanical & Zoological Garden, the former name for the park when it was a zoo
• Centennial Park, for being "the Summer Capital" of the Philippines for 100 years
• Igorot Village, for the culture-inspired carvings, sculptures, and huts scattered around the park
• Imelda Park, for the former first lady

History

The garden, which was previously a zoo, ^[1] was renamed to the Imelda Park by Ferdinand Marcos for his wife in 1970. ^[3]

The park closed for ten months in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[2] During that time, it underwent a renovation which made the park more aesthetic and added ramps. ^[4]

Features

The sign at the entrance

The park has art galleries provided by the Baguio Arts Guild, and sculptures displaying the culture of the Igorot people. A statue by Ben Hur Villanueva commemorating the people who built Baguio can also be found.

The park also contains a friendship garden featuring the countries United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Thailand, which contain elements of the country's culture, such as temples and statues. It also contains a sunflower farm and gardens spotlighting Dahlia , cactuses, marguerites, orchids, and succulents. ^[4]

One of the garden's main attractions is a 150 m (490 ft) long tunnel which was dug out by Japanese Imperial Army soldiers during World War II for use as storage, treatment, and a bunker. ^{[2] [5]}

See also

• List of botanical gardens and arboretums in the Philippines

References

1. "Baguio Botanical Garden – Go Baguio!". Go Bagio!. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
2. Ergino, Jervis (December 24, 2022). "Baguio Botanical Garden Complete Guide". Hike To Mountains. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
3. Aaron, Jerome (October 27, 2015). "From Imelda Park to Botanical Gardens to Centennial Park". Cush Travel Blog. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
4. M, Lea (March 19, 2022). "Botanical Garden Baguio City Travel Guide". Baguio City News. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
5. Agranum, May (September 5, 2016). "Revisiting the Botanical Garden of Baguio City". Jeffer's Odyssey. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.