BY: CHARLES NIKKO LIMON
In this part of Burnham Park, Nanay Nora and her friends chose to gather again.
Aside from its quiet ambiance, the place is still surrounded by trees.
But for veteran photojournalist JJ Landingin, this place holds a special meaning.
According to him, this spot is known to journalists as Camp Pepot Ilagan, where the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club annually holds its Lucky Summer Visitor program, a tradition maintained by this group of journalists in the city.
This site brings together media personnel from radio, television, and print publications.
Eventually, it was named Camp Pepot Ilagan in memory of Nicolas “Pepot” Ilagan, the former editor-in-chief of the prominent newspaper Baguio Gold Ore in the 1980s.
JJ witnessed this unity firsthand as a 17-year-old, inspired by the goal of fostering solidarity among media practitioners in the city.
After decades, for the first time, the media camp will undergo renovations.
This comes after the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club and the Baguio City Government signed a memorandum of agreement for the Adopt a Park program.
According to the plan, the pathways within the media camp will be repaired, and more benches will be added for public relaxation.
The tables and chairs in the area will also be refurbished.
The project is valued at 500,000 pesos and is included in the rehabilitation of Burnham Park.
BCBC President Thom Picaña thanked the officials and media members who united for this project.
The site is also seen as a significant space to strengthen the unity of the media in the city, especially amid the threats of fake news and the closure of some media outlets.
Camp Pepot Ilagan is not just a symbol of the media’s vital contribution to the city but also serves as a shrine for fearless journalists who deliver news, even at the cost of their lives.
