BAGUIO CITY – A family from Pasig City was chosen as the 2025 Lucky Summer Visitors (LSV) by the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCBC) on Maundy Thursday at Pugo, La Union.
Spouses Ricardo Celestino Jr, 62, carpenter; Carolyn Andrews Celestino, 57, housewife; their children Jerome, 30, customer service representative and his partner Jellyn Bautista, 31, an administrative staff; Julia, 11 and, Eunice, 13 both students with his grandchild Eugin Celestino, 3 were on board Victory Liner Bus with plate number NAZ 2113 bound for Baguio when they were flagged down for the search at around 8:00 a.m.
“We are the lucky seven. Lucky po talaga kasi wala kaming gagastusin, mai-se-save namin ang inipon namin para makapasyal ng Baguio (We are really lucky because we will not spend anything. We can keep whatever we have saved for this trip to see Baguio),” said Jellyn Bautista.
It took the family a long time to plan the visit to the city, with all of them first timers to the summer capital.
“Matagal na namin gusto makapunta ng Baguio at lahat kami di pa namin nakita ang Baguio pero dahil sa schedule ng trabaho, may pasok ang mga bata tapos may senior citizen mahirap magbyahe, hindi natutuloy (We have been wanting to visit Baguio because we have not seen it yet especially with work and classes of the children not to mention the senior citizens who will have a difficulty traveling reason it never materialized),” Jellyn said.
But with their parents’ wedding anniversary, the trip was planned with funds saved for the visit.
“Nagshare-share kami at naka pag-down na kami sa transient house pero masaya kami na sa hotel pa pala kami matutulog (We paid the down payment for the transient house and we are happy that we will be staying in a hotel),” she said.
She said that at first it was not believable but after they were made to alight from the bus, they started to see the reality of their luck.
Jellyn said they planned to visit the strawberry farm and Burnham Park which they always read and heard of.
Dionisio Dennis Jr., BCBC president said the family were the ninth the group flagged down on Thursday.
Dennis said the family is provided with a free accommodation for four days and three nights courtesy of the Hotel Supreme, the official home of the LSV.
They are also afforded free meals and guided tours to the different tourist destinations which includes the Dragon Treasure Castle, Igorot Stone Kingdom, Camp John Hay for forest bathing, Wright Park for horseback riding, Peace Tower and Heritage Park, Tam-Awan Artist Village, Pugad ni Art Museum, Burnham Park boating and biking activity, stroll at SM Baguio and a market tour.
They will also visit Northern Blossoms in Atok, Benguet, Beacon eco-park and Polig Farm in Tublay Benguet, the Benguet provincial capitol for a lunch with provincial officials, strawberry picking at the strawberry farm in La Trinidad. They were also received by the mayor of Pugo, La Union after the search and the officials of Tuba, Benguet where they were entertained with a native performance and dances and indigenous snacks.
The LSV were received by the different mayors of the municipalities of Tuba, La Trinidad, Tublay, Atok, which they visited including Baguio City and the provincial government officials.
Dennis said the annual activity which has run for more than 60 years will not be possible with the help of partners, supporters and sponsors, like Philex Mining Corporation, BENECO, BWD, Converge, League of Associations of Vegetable Traders in La Trinidad, Agetyeng Travel and Tours, NGCP, Aboitiz Power, ABC-Baguio, SMC Infrastructure, M. Lhuillier, Metro Pacific Tollways, Corp., Landco Pacific, ESC Puerto de San Juan, Benguet State University, Philippine Veterans Bank, Benguet Corporation, DMCI, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio, Baguio Country Club, PhilRECA, Mang Inasal, Jollibee Foods Corporation, and KM Ngayon Na, SM Baguio.
The government partners, aside from the local governments, are DOT-CAR, DA-CAR, DOTr-CAR, BCPO, Benguet PPO, PRO CAR, Baguio Tourism Office, DPWH, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The event was also supported by Congress representatives Maximo Dalog Jr of Mt. Province, Eric Yap of Benguet, Mark Go of Baguio City, Mauricio Domogan and Nicasio Aliping Jr., both formerly of Baguio City, former youth representative Edgar Avila, Benguet Vice Governor Ericson “Tagel” Felipe, Gladys Vergara, Sen. Imee Marcos, Engr. Louie Sarmiento, former La Trinidad Councilor Nestor Fongwan Jr., , Sen. Lito Lapid, Baguio Councilors Maximo Hilario Edwin Jr., Peter Fianza, and Jose Molintas.
“We are thankful because this activity would not have thrived for more than six decades without the support of the partners and the sponsors,” added Dennis.
