Finding inner peace in Baguio
With its cool weather and verdant landscapes setting up a meditative mood, Baguio City attracts those who seek solitude to clear the mind and connect with the spiritual self. They usually take leisurely walks in the parks—Burnham on Jose Abad Santos Drive, Mines View on Outlook Drive, Wright on Romulo Drive, to name a few—or find a cozy spot in any of the city’s many public and pocket gardens.
Another popular choice for enjoying some peace and quiet, especially among Catholics, is climbing the more than 200 steps from the base of Mirador Hill all the way to the Lourdes Grotto, a known historic pilgrimage site that offers breathtaking views of the City of Pines.
Facing the century-old statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was sculpted by prominent artist Isabel Tampingco, devotees pray in veneration and for intercession. The grotto is open daily with a mass scheduled every Sunday at 9 a.m.
On top of the Lourdes Grotto is another popular destination for purposeful visits: the Mirador Heritage and Eco-Spirituality Park. It can be reached straight from the base of the Mirador Hill, if you choose not to climb the steps to the Lourdes Grotto, either by walking or riding a vehicle.
There’s an entrance fee of P100 for those over 12 years old, but you can pay more if you wish to donate for the maintenance of the place.
Visitors are also encouraged to follow the regulations and safety protocols of the park, which is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rules include not bringing pets and eating in the premises. You can have your meals at the only dining area, and that is Cafe Iñigo.
Prayerful walk
Both the Lourdes Grotto and the Mirador Heritage and Eco-Spirituality Park belong to the 5-hectare Mirador Jesuit Villa complex, which has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines. The complex is also home to the Mirador Jesuit Villa Retreat House that offers retreat programs and accommodations to both religious and lay individuals and groups for silent stays of prayer and reflection.
The retreat house’s administrators encourage visitors of the Mirador Heritage and Eco-Spirituality Park to take the prayerful walk to fully experience this solemn place. It starts with the opening prayer at the St. Joseph’s Shrine, found at the park’s entrance, before proceeding to the numerous prayer stops spread out in the rolling property.
These include the Loyola Rock Gardens, Mirador Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Manresa Rock Gardens, Our Lady of Aranzazu Rock Gardens, Our Lady of Montserrat Rock Gardens, Mirador Peace Memorial, Grotto of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lourdes Grotto, and Shrine to the Risen Lord (Cordillera Heritage Garden).
At every stop, there’s a prayer guide that you can read and reflect on for about 10 to 20 minutes or longer. You may choose to visit a few stops or a cluster of stops in one visit and do the rest in your next visit. You can plan ahead using the map found in the retreat house’s website (miradorjesuitvilla.com).
If you’re pressed for time, you can find the votive candle station conveniently located near the Lourdes Grotto to say your quiet prayer, or you can simply find a spot anywhere in the park to soak in the serenity amid the fog.
For a different take on spirituality, you can head to the Cemetery of Negativism, also known as the Lost Cemetery, which is found inside the Camp John Hay property. Visitors are encouraged to release their negative emotions and symbolically bury them here, so they can let go of the things that wear them down and find peace in their hearts.
