Baguio ready for 26th edition of Panagbenga

The city government and the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) are ready for the upcoming 26th edition of the Panagbenga, popularly known as the Baguio Flower Festival, that is expected to draw domestic and foreign tourists wanting to witness the various events lined up for the resumption of face-to-face gatherings.

BFFFI Chief of Staff Evangeline Payno disclosed it is all systems go for the conduct of the grand opening parade on February 1, 2023 which will be participated in by various elementary and high school street dancers complimented by different cultural groups and other festival dancers to jumpstart the month-long festivities that will spice up the various events lined up for this year’s flower festival.

Panagbenga organizers expressed hope that the successful grand opening parade will encourage increased participation of street dancers in the upcoming grand street dancing parade on February 25, 2023 that will highlight the performances of participating elementary, high school and cultural street dancers as added attraction for the viewers who will flock to the city during this date to witness the highlights of the festival.

During the grand opening parade, Payno disclosed there will be three participating elementary street dancing contingents and 8 cultural groups complimented by the marching bands from the Philippine Military Academy and the St. Louis University high school and college contingent.

The BFFFI Chief of Staff announced that the deadline for the submission of entries for the grand street dancing parade has been moved to February 5, 2023 or later depending on the situation while the organizers will continue to accept entries for the grand float parade scheduled on February 26, 2023 on or before February 22,2023 at the latest to ensure the active participation of interested companies and local governments.

For the grand float parade, Payno claimed that there will be three categories which will be the small, medium, and large floats to allow more participants to one of the major highlights of the flower festival.

The 26th edition of the Panagbenga will run from February 1 to March 5, 2023 where numerous traditional and community-led events have been lined up to entice residents and tourists alike to witness.

Among the elementary schools that confirmed their participation in the grand opening parade and the grand street dancing parade include the Baguio Central School, Josefa Carino Elementary School and the Lucban elementary School amidst the orders from the education department not to use the time devoted for their classes for their extra-curricular activities.

Aside from the grand opening parade, the other Panagbenga activities that will also open on February 1, 2023, will be the market encounter and the famous landscaping competition that will be held at the Burnham Park which will surely serve as a major crowd-drawer for landscaping enthusiasts. – Dexter A. See