City in the clouds
At 1,500 meters above sea level, Baguio sits in a plateau in the Cordilleras. The same geography that gives it cool mountain air also traps what the city puts into it.
A warm ceiling seals the area
During the colder times of day, an invisible layer of warm air settles above the city trapping the cooler, denser air below, like a physical lid. Pollutants rise, hit the layer of warm air, and get trapped.
Peaks that block the wind
Surrounding peaks rise higher than the city floor, walling off the routes that would otherwise let pollutants escape—leaving them with nowhere to go.