Teacher's Camp

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Teacher's Camp
Teacher's Camp.JPG
LocationBaguio
Coordinates16°24′44″N 120°36′29″E / 16.41222°N 120.60806°E / 16.41222; 120.60806Coordinates: 16°24′44″N 120°36′29″E / 16.41222°N 120.60806°E / 16.41222; 120.60806
Opened1908
FounderWilliam Pack
Administered byDepartment of Education

The Baguio Teachers' Camp (BTC),[1][2] sometimes referred as Teacher's Camp is an teachers' training center and events venue located along Leonard Wood Road in Baguio, Philippines. It is a recognized heritage site by the Baguio city government since 2005 and the national government since 2008.

Established as a recreation area for teachers in the 1900s during the American period, the site currently hosts the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) of the Department of Education.

History[]

Teacher's Camp in 1909

American period[]

The Teacher's Camp was established on December 11, 1907 by an ordinance by Benguet Governor William Pack in an area which was then named O-ring-ao to accommodate both American and Filipino teachers. The outline of the camp's plan was made by W. Morgan Schuster, secretary of the Bureau of Public Instruction on January 18, 1908.[3] The camp opened as a training center and vacation site for teachers and employees of the Insular government a few months later on April 6, 1908.[4] The first Teachers Vacation Assembly started on the same date and ran until May 30, 1908.[3] During its early years, tents were used for the camp's classrooms, kitchen, dining and storage facilities.[4]

In 1911, the first building was built in Teacher's Camp.[3] Access roads and pathways were made. In 1912, cottages were set up for the camp director, secretary and undersecretary of education. More funds were allocated for Teacher's Camp's development which led to the Benitez Hall, Ladies Hall, Teacher's Hall, Tavera Hall, and the White Hall being built.[4]

The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) previously occupied a large area of Teacher's Camp. The PMA temporarily moved out of Camp Henry Allen to Teacher's Camp in 1936 due to a projected increase in the number of members of the Cadet Corps. During the PMA occupancy the General Luna Hall was built.[4] The PMA stayed in Teacher's Camp from June 15, 1936 until December 12, 1941, when the World War II broke out.[3]

World War II[]

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, the occupying forces use the camp as their hospital. It was left damaged after the war[3]

Cotemporary history[]

Garden at Teacher's Camp.

The Teacher's Camp was repaired and reopened in 1947, shortly after the end of World War II.[3] The PMA also moved backed to Camp Allen within the same year prior to transferring to Fort Gregorio del Pilar in 1950.[5] On January 1, 1971, the Pangasinan Police Academy (now the Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center) moved in to Teacher's Camp.[6]

President Corazon Aquino through Proclamation No. 290 defined areas in Baguio which would constitute the Teacher's Camp Reservation on July 18, 1988. The reservation was placed under the administration of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS; now the Department of Education).[7]

The first Philippine Sports Summit was held in the early 1990s during the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos where the Magna Carta for Philippine Sports was made as an effort to boost the national sports program. Such efforts failed when the original Magna Carta was not referred to in the succeeding summits.[8]

The Baguio City Council passed a resolution recognizing the Teacher's Camp as a heritage site.[9] In 2008, renovations were made on the Teacher's Camp's seminar halls and cottages which were completed as part of the facility's centenary.[10] The national government followed suit, and declared Teacher's Camp as a national heritage site in the same year.[2]

Usage[]

Athletic track in Teacher's Camp

Teacher's Camp is managed by a director, and is directly under the Department of Education (DepEd)[11] Teacher's Camp is the site of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), which is DepEd's training arm.[12] Teachers from different parts of the Philippines enroll in education special courses during the summer break. The center hosts classrooms, dormitories, cottages, dining areas, assembly halls and administrative offices. When teachers are not using the facility, the dormitories and cottages are rented to tourists. It also hosts events sponsored by government agencies.[4]

The area was also the former site of the Mountain Province High School (MP High, now known as the Baguio City National High School)[13] The Philippine Public Safety College also runs the Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center (CARTC) which is within the Teacher's Camp. The CARTC is the training center for members of the Philippine National Police of the Cordillera Administrative Region.[6]

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) also maintains their own facilities within the Teacher's Camp, including an athletic oval.[14][15] From 1976 to 1989, track and field athletes under the government initiated, Gintong Alay sports program trained at Teacher's Camp.[16]

Heritage status[]

National Historical Institute marker

On May 12, 2008, Teacher's Camp was declared as national heritage site.[2] The facility is a marked structure according to a 2015 report.[17]

Believers of the paranormal say the camp is haunted because it is claimed to be more than 100 years old.[18][19]

References[]

  1. ^ "DepEd Memorandum No. 236, s 2008: Baguio Teachers' Camp: Celebrating 100 Years of Educating the Nation" (PDF). Department of Education. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Feature: Baguio Teachers Camp revels in its centennial". Philippine Information Agency. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Baguio Teachers' Camp (Marker) (in Filipino). Baguio Teachers' Camp grounds: Philippine National Historical Institute. 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Teacher's Camp". City of Pines. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  5. ^ Bueza, Michael (14 March 2014). "FAST FACTS: The Philippine Military Academy". Rappler. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center". ppsc.gov.ph.
  7. ^ "Proclamation No. 290, s. 1988". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  8. ^ Velasco, Bill (29 August 2016). "Master plan". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  9. ^ Times, The Manila (10 December 2013). "Baguio dads ask DepEd to preserve Teacher's Camp". The Manila Times. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Sun.Star: Teachers' Camp in Baguio undergoes facelift". GMA News. Sun Star. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  11. ^ Domondon, Brix (3 December 2013). "Domondon: Datuin and Cariño Urge Preservation of Teachers Camp". Sunstar. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  12. ^ Alegre, Ace (April 13–19, 2008). "Baguio Teachers Camp Is 100 Years Old". Northern Dispatch. VIII (10).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  13. ^ Cabreza, Vincent (17 June 2016). "Baguio high school turns 100 yrs old in age of K-12". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  14. ^ Reyes, Marc Anthony (2017-03-29). "PSC to turn Baguio unit into nat'l training hub". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  15. ^ Pedralvez, Bong (28 May 2021). "Athletics bets set to train in Baguio". Malaya Business Insight. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  16. ^ Dee, Ignacio (18 November 2014). "The bells toll for the Rizal Memorial". Rappler. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  17. ^ See, Dexter (19 May 2015). "NHCP letter merely an advise – NCCA". Herald Express. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  18. ^ Vince (23 October 2014). "Five Haunted Places In Baguio City". LakbayBaguio. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  19. ^ Palma, Renzelle Ann (23 October 2013). "Top 5 Baguio Haunted Spots". Choose Philippines. Find. Discover. Share. ABS-CBN Corporation. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
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