Classic movies shot in Baguio City

Several movies, both local and international, have been shot in Baguio City since the 1950s until today. Truly, the summer capital’s beauty and weather captured the world’s attention at some point and have been a favorite setting for movies ever since.

Movies and scenes shot in Baguio City

The following are movies and certain scenes shot in Baguio City from the 1950s to 1990s. Let’s see which of them have you seen before. And together, let’s figure out if you were able to recognize Baguio City in the backdrop of the scenes.

Let’s go over them one by one.

Now and Forever (1953)

Did you know that one of the oldest films shot in Baguio is a true story of the whirlwind romance of the first ever Miss Universe and a Filipino real estate businessman? In this movie, it was shown that Baguio City is a witness of how Miss Universe 1952 Armi Kuusela and Virgilio Hilario have grown to love each other since they first met in Baguio City in 1953. In the end, Kuusela gave up her Miss Universe crown and married Hilario in Tokyo, Japan.

Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising (1977)

Joey (Christopher De Leon) and Anna (Hilda Coronel) of Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising

Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising was a film set in Baguio City. Here, Christopher De Leon played the role of Joey, a musically inclined and carefree college student who seemed to have no sense of direction in life. Things start to turn upside down when he met Anna (Hilda Coronel), a married Manila girl who went to Baguio for vacation. The friendship between the two turned into romance and things began to become complicated.

The Return of the Bionic Boy (1979)

This movie came after another one entitled, The Bionic Boy. Here, Master Johnson Yap played the role of Dynamite Johnson. He arrives in the Philippines in a wheelchair and undergoes a surgery that turned him to a superbionic boy. His superhuman abilities led him to an investigation of international gangsters that turned out to be planning to dominate the world.

You’ll see a familiar place in Baguio City over two hours of watching the film. In one scene, the facade of Bell Church, which is located on the borders of Baguio City and La Trinidad, will be shown while Dynamite will be seen offering prayers inside the temple.

Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (1980)

The four main characters of this film were played by Christopher De Leon, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan and Sandy Andolong. In the movie, Johnny, played by De Leon, arrives in the Philippines and without knowing, he gets involved in drug smuggling because of an audio cassette tape. Later on, he and his friends found themselves in conflict with Japanese Gangsters and the Chinese Mafia. And at one point, when the Japanese started chasing them, they took refuge in a church in Baguio City only to find out that the priests and nuns were fake and are allies of the villains.

Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang (1985)

Kerubin, the third episode in the movie adaptation of Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang in 1985, features an angel (Chuckie Dreyfuss) who was sent from heaven to free children laborers who are working for three mean old ladies. Most of the scenes, if not the entire movie, were shot in the city of Baguio.

The movie also features the love team of Tirso Cruz III and Nora Aunor. Aunor plays the role of the old ladies’ niece who happens to be a good person who helps the children escape in the end.

Nagbabagang Luha (1988)

The film, in which Baguio City played an important part, have four main characters played by Lorna Tolentino, Gabby Concepcion, Richard Gomez and Alice Dixon. In the movie, Tolentino and Concepcion separates after being married for 8 years. They have a daughter whom they love so much. Hence, they both fight for her custody. Concepcion keeps their daughter away from Tolentino and takes her to Baguio City. And to make things more complicated, they have potential love interests and an interfering mother-in-law who gets in their way.

Shake, Rattle and Roll 2 (1990)

In the second installment of the Shake, Rattle & Roll franchise, the story entitled, Multo, features a newlywed couple who went to Baguio City for their honeymoon. Janice De Belen played the role of Cathy, the wife of Mari (Eric Quizon). As the franchise’s title suggests, the newlyweds found themselves in a horrific situation, spending their honeymoon in a house that is haunted by its original owner who turns out to be a doctor who murdered and tortured young ladies including his own niece.

Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum (1991)

Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum is the story of Ben (Robin Padilla), a modern day Robinhood who in behalf of a syndicate, acts as a collector of grease money from jeepney drivers. In return, he uses his earnings to feed his adoptive parents whom he loves so much.

He falls for Bing (Vina Morales) whom he kidnapped together with her brother because of a deal with his boss regarding his the safety of his family. The police and syndicate chased them as they flee. But in the end, the two got to know each other better and fell for each other.

The movie featured several places in Baguio like the Lourdes Grotto, Burnham Park and more.

Miss na Miss Kita: Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum Part 2 (1992)

A year after the release of Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum, a sequel entitled Miss na Miss Kita: Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum followed. Together, Ben and Bing faced the dangers caused by certain circumstances and people.

In the movie, you’ll see familiar places both in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.

Baby Love (1995)

Baby Love is a story of two children named Andie (Anna Larrucea) and Ira (Jason Salcedo) who attempted to tie the knot as they felt like they were truly and madly in love and that they are ready to build a life of their own. Their behavior shocked their parents and caused serious conflicts. In the end, this made their parents realize their shortcomings to the children.

Kokey (1997)

Kokey was a Filipino science fiction movie in the 90’s. In the movie, Bong (Carlo Aquino) and his sister Anna ( Ani Pearl Alonso-Aquino) discovers Kokey, an extraterrestrial being whose spaceship exploded as it landed on Earth.

The two children kept him at home without their parents’ knowledge in the beginning. The three eventually became the best of friends as Kokey helped them with a lot of things. However, he suddenly felt homesick, pointing to somewhere above the sky where his parents might be.

Istokwa (1996)

In this movie, best friends Migo (Mark Anthony Fernandez) and Iggy (Spencer Reyes) ran away from their homes. They took Iggy’s mom’s new car and went on a trip to nowhere until they encountered misfortunes along the way that brought them to Baguio City. In the end, their experiences led to self-discovery.

Labs Kita, Okay Ka Lang? (1998)

This movie, entirely shot in Baguio City, features the love team of Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin. Here, Bujoy (Magdangal) has shown that she is the original of hugot lines for being a person caught in a situation which millennials call as “friend zone.”

Bujoy and Ned (Agustin) have long been best friends until they realized that they love each other when they started dating other people.

Feeling nostalgic about Baguio City

Did the movies mentioned above bring back your memories about Baguio City? Which of them have you watched before? We’d love to know your stories about these movies in the comments section.