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Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Tagaytay apology sought for ad defaming Baguio
BAGUIO CITY -- A councilor here wants a public apology from officials of Tagaytay City for allegedly posting in its website that it has overtaken Baguio as the country's summer capital.
Councilor Rocky Thomas Balisong said Tagaytay's putting down of Baguio to promote its tourism industry was "uncalled for" and shows "crab mentality" at its worst.
An advisory at www.tagaytay.com/travel says: "Baguio, nestled 5,000 feet above sea level, is located in the heart of Benguet, about a six-hour bus trip (one way) from Manila. It's the summer capital of the Philippines. But not for long as Tagaytay is coming on strong without all the pitfalls of Baguio's success, i.e. pollution, over population, and high prices. Baguio's success has caused it to become the most polluted city in the Philippines, even worse than Manila. The six-hour bus trip can be tiresome as well. There is air service to Baguio, but for whatever reason the tickets seem expensive."
Balisong said the allegations not only affect the city's tourism industry but the overall image of Baguio City and its residents.
In the interest of fairness, the councilor called on the local government of Tagaytay to delete the negative advisory.
Mayor Braulio Yaranon's secretary, Rabindranath Quilala, said the city might not go as far as ask Tagaytay City to apologize for the negative advisory on Baguio.
He admitted that pollution and over-population are indeed problems that Baguio faces right now. What needs to be done, he said, is to address the issues raised in the Tagaytay advisory.
However, Baguio remains to be the country's summer capital in the same manner that Tagaytay City is the "Baguio" of the Southern Tagalog region.
"Walang tatalo sa Baguio (Nothing can beat Baguio)," Quilala said. (Rimaliza Opiña)
(March 8, 2005 issue)
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