"Project Puraw" - Baguio City's newest tourist attraction.

Project Puraw. Courtesy: RevBloom FB page

The Summer Capital may soon have another popular tourist attraction, “selfie” background and climate change mitigator.

The city government and the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office are planning to undertake a project that will transform Quirino Hill also known as Carabao Mountain into a mosaic of white and green colors in coordination with concerned communities, local artists and Boysen paints.

Dubbed as “Project Puraw (White)”, Mayor Mauricio Domogan said that the proposed endeavor entails the painting of the roofs and walls of thousands of houses in the area that encompasses four barangays.

“I was informed that the kind of paints and colors chosen will help mitigate climate change as these will not absorb sunlight but reflect it back to the atmosphere,” Domogan said.

The project is part of the DOT regional office’s Revitalize Bloom or Rev-Bloom program conceptualized by its director Venus Tan.

She is hoping that painting will start soon so that visitors to Baguio’s Panagbenga Festival in February will be able to see the transformation. A meeting is scheduled next month to discuss the project to the barangay officials and residents of the area and seek their support.

The Mayor is also hoping that the DOT regional office will be able to get the signed approval of the Quirino Hill homeowners so that the project can commence as soon as possible.

The DOT regional office spearheaded the completion of a similar project earlier this year involving several barangays in La Trinidad, Benguet inspired by the favelas in Brazil and aimed at revitalizing art festivals and caring for nature in the region.

Gaby Keith
The City Government of Baguio