The Walking Tour Incubator with Gabe Mercado

This is for the person who notices something other people keep walking past.

You might be a designer, artist, researcher, writer, performer, educator, community member, history enthusiast, creative practitioner—or simply someone who knows a particular part of Baguio closely.

Guiding experience is not required.

You should apply if you have a specific Baguio story, place, detail or question you want to investigate; are willing to research beyond what you already know; can participate in the full program; and are prepared to receive honest feedback and change your work.

This is not designed as a passive workshop, professional-tour-guide certification or shortcut to a finished commercial tour.

NOTICE

Begin with something specific in Baguio that you cannot stop thinking about.

RESEARCH

Investigate the story more deeply. Walk the place. Look again. Ask questions. Identify the people you may need to speak with before telling the story responsibly.

SHAPE

Across three online checkpoints, begin turning your material into a walk: what people encounter, in what sequence, and what question or perspective holds it together.

BUILD

During the Baguio intensive, work on the route through fieldwork, workshop time and facilitated development.

TEST

Take real people through the walk.

Observe where they become curious, confused, engaged or disconnected. Gather feedback.

REBUILD

Revise what you made from evidence rather than assumption—then test the walk again.

You leave with a walking tour that has been tested at least twice, rather than an idea that has only existed on paper.

Your participation includes:

● Three facilitated online checkpoints

● Research and fieldwork guidance

● In-person workshop and route-development sessions in Baguio

● Live testing of your walking tour at least twice

● Structured feedback and revision

● Facilitation led by Gabe Mercado

● Participant coordination and communications

Not included: meals, accommodation, and transportation to, from, or within Baguio. Participants are responsible for arranging and covering these separately.

The in-person portion includes walking, fieldwork and live route testing in Baguio.

Because individual routes are still being developed, final distances, terrain, meeting points and route-specific accessibility conditions cannot yet be confirmed.

Applicants with accessibility or participation requirements are encouraged to include them in their application so these can be considered before accepting a place.

1 · Apply by 11 September

Tell us about the Baguio detail, place, story or question you want to explore and why you want to turn it into a walk.

2 · Applications are reviewed

This is a selected cohort rather than a first-come, first-served booking. Gabe Mercado makes the final cohort selection.

3 · Receive your decision by 18 September

Applicants will be informed whether they are accepted, waitlisted or not selected.

4 · Confirm your place

Accepted regular participants confirm through the ₱5,500 participation fee. Accepted scholarship participants confirm through the scholarship agreement.

5 · Begin on 21 September

The cohort enters the three-checkpoint development period before gathering in Baguio from 16–18 October.

The program begins online before moving into its in-person Baguio intensive.

Online checkpoints are scheduled for 21 September, 28 September and 5 October 2026. Exact session times are still being finalized.

The in-person intensive takes place in Baguio from 16–18 October 2026.

Final meeting points, route-specific conditions and other operational information will be provided to confirmed participants once verified.

Full participation across the online checkpoints and Baguio intensive is part of the program commitment.