Baguio residents to restore the Garden Theater – the first-ever open cinema
On the second week of January next year, the first arts events will take place in a restored space at the Garden Theater – the first-ever cinema in Baguio.
The restoration of Garden Theater. Image from Garden Theater.
Garden Theater was the first cinema in Baguio. It was owned by businessman Hubert Phelps Whitmarsh who was Benguet’s first Governor,appointed in 1900. He also established the Banguet Commercial Company, started a sawmill, and built the Baguio Hotel.
The theater was later converted as his home but destroyed during the carpet bombing in 1945, and is currently the site of the Cafe by the Ruins.
According to Garden Theater’s Facebook post, a group of local artist are now reviving the open-air cinema by turning it into a shared performance or studio. They are currently accepting donations such as usable mat, rug, banig, and throw pillows.
Sources: Garden Theater, spot.ph
