Naming of Baguio road after school icon pushed

By Pigeon Lobien  

BAGUIO CITY – A city councilor has proposed the naming of a street after a founder of one of the three bastions of education here.

In a proposed ordinance to the city council this week, Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda wants to name a portion of the Perfecto Street at Burnham Park after the late Dr. Margarita “Itang” Joven Fernandez, founder of the Baguio Central School.

Tabanda, in her proposal, said that naming a part of the 100-meter road from the Lake Drive junction to the footbridge at Harrison Road -- which now serves as a depot for westbound jeepneys -- is to commemorate the educator who founded one of the universities that defined Baguio as an educational hub.

Fernandez founded the school right after World War II that may have started the school building drive in the city.

In 1946, the late lawyer Benjamin Salvosa founded the Baguio Colleges that would become the Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF) and now the University of the Cordilleras (UC), while the late Fernando Bautista, Sr. established the Baguio Tech in 1948, now the University of Baguio (UB).

While her two contemporaries had their names inscribed in two streets just below the Baguio City Hall -- the Fernando Bautista Drive and Benjamin Salvosa Drive, Fernandez was not given the same recognition.

Fernandez was named as a builder of Baguio like her two contemporaries during the city’s centennial celebration for founding the school, which holds campuses along the streets of Magsaysay and Bonifacio.

Tabanda, in penning the proposed ordinance, wrote that in 1979, Fernandez became the first president of the University and, through her leadership, expanded its academic programs and infrastructure development.

In naming a portion of the street, Tabanda noted and praised Fernandez for “bringing honors to the City of Baguio” through her local and international awards and for her being a champion of women’s welfare.

The proposed ordinance was approved on first reading during the City Council’s Regular Session on January 6 and was referred to the Committee on Education, Culture, Creativity, and Historical Research for further study and recommendation.

Baguio is home to more than 100,000 college students from its various universities, colleges, technical-vocational schools and the military learning institution of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

The biggest is Saint Louis University which has more than 35,000 students from pre-school to post-graduate. UC and UB are also home to more than 15,000 students at all levels.

The three are among the best schools in the country in terms of professional board passers. (PNA)