BAGUIO always brings back so many good memories for me. In the 1980s our family would go to Baguio at least twice a year, usually with family friends or relatives.
As a youngster, those trips meant daily horseback-riding sessions in the morning at Wright Park and the nearby trails, video arcade games in the afternoon at Green Valley or Mile Hi, and then bowling at Baguio Country Club (BCC) or Mile Hi. Each and every day was filled with all sorts of activities and entertainment, all while enjoying the cool mountain air and the company of playmates and cousins. At that young age, I couldn’t care less where and what we ate, just that it needed to be quick so we can get back to having fun.
As a teen in the 1990s, my interests shifted to sports, more specifically golf. The horseback rides were replaced with rounds of golf with my dad and uncles at the BCC and John Hay. The excitement of video games was replaced by daily competitions on the links, with the winner getting paid in burgers and the loser of the day forced to wear an everlasting (dried flower) garland after the round. It was good fun, with the banter and ribbing during and after the game adding to the excitement.
As an adult, I cherish trips to Baguio for the refreshing weather, the food and the opportunity to share experiences I had as a kid to my own son. I still enjoy playing golf occasionally when in Baguio, but just being amongst the pines, visiting favorite restaurants and just hanging out with family and friends are reasons enough to go up north.
All these memories and experiences add up to why I consider Baguio as my happy place. It was my Disneyland as a child, my golfing paradise as a teen and my respite as and adult. I love Baguio and would always think of excuses to make the trip. So when the City of Pines calls for work, even if means two trips to Baguio in one week, I go in a heartbeat.
Last month, I was in Baguio for a few days for a foodie road trip for Cook Magazine. And just as we got back to Manila, I received an invitation from renowned food writer and friend, Margaux Salcedo, to head up north again, in two days’ time, to celebrate the 20th year anniversary of the turnover of Camp John Hay from the BCDA to CJH Development Corp. One of the highlights of the monthlong celebration was a dinner celebrating the old Camp John Hay. As United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg, the guest of honor at the dinner, put it: “It [dinner] is a celebration of our shared history through food.” Through the efforts of CJH Development Corp. and the United States Department of Agriculture, the dinner was an opportunity for guests to “relive a slice of Americana” through the well-loved food of the old Camp John Hay. The Forest Lodge was decked in all things Americana, complete with American vintage cars and Prohibition-themed décor.
My memories of the food of the old Camp John Hay is not as extensive as most people. Having only gone there for leisure activities, I recall a few specialties that we considered treats whenever we were inside the then American R and R base. I remember breakfasts of corned-beef hash and pancakes at the 19th Tee. Bowling and video games at Mile Hi meant pizza and fried chicken, too. Halfway through a round of golf, we’d sometimes enjoy a burger at the Halfway House, positioned just above the 9th green, while watching flights behind us try to get on the Par 5 in two. There’s also American ice cream right by the mini golf and trampoline areas, near the tennis and basketball courts. These were all part of the John Hay experience and getting to taste some of these specialties, 20 years after the turnover, is such a treat.
As someone whose job entails nonstop eating, I was perfectly trained for the job at hand. The spread that night was quite sizeable, with carving stations on one side of the dining hall and old-time favorites on the other. Among those at the carving stations, most impressive was the US Steamship Roast, a whole round of beef (rear leg). Perfectly medium and served with traditional sides of baked potato and creamed spinach, you can’t help but imagine the hundreds of American servicemen who would’ve enjoyed the same dish on special occasions in Camp John Hay decades ago. They also served Roast Suckling Pig, a mainstay at Filipino banquets, with he crispy skin and meltingly tender and fatty meat always going down a treat. The Maple Baked Ham Leg, also another American favorite was juicy, mildly salty and with the sweet maple glaze providing the perfect contrast.
But as much as I enjoyed the carving stations, the dinner was about the old John Hay’s everyday favorites that both Filipinos and Americans got to enjoy year round. Nineteenth Tee favorites, like Creamed Beef, Chili con Carne, Corned Beef Brisket, along with Crab Cakes, BBQ ribs, Caesar and Potato Salads and Baked Macaroni. It was almost impossible to try everything they served that night—almost. But with Chef Billy King providing guidance and with the food memories of the old John Hay flooding back in, try and eat some more we all did. To help wash down all that great grub was Beringer Wines, courtesy of Happy Living and Kathy Yao Santos. An American feast deserves no less than Northern California wines, of course.
The night ended with a special token presentation from Camp John Hay Development Corp Chairman Bob Sobrepeña to Chairman Sobrepeña presented Goldberg with an Igorot-themed token, along with an old Fil-Am Golf photo from the 1960s, with World War II veteran Sabas Hafalla hitting his tee-shot in bahag, the traditional Igorot garb. The tokens highlight the long and fruitful partnership between Americans and Filipinos, especially in the City of Baguio.
The Forest Lodge Camp John Hay provided the perfect venue for the occasion, with its “log cabin” feel. The spirit of continued cooperation and camaraderie was palpable that evening, with everyone optimistic with what the future holds. With delectable food serving as a bridge between two cultures and the reliving of old John Hay through its favorite dishes bringing different generations together, there is much to look forward to.
Image credits: Chef Dino Datu
