BETTER PROMOTION OF BAGUIO FESTIVALS SOUGHT
18 May 2021 – City officials are urging the City Tourism and Special Events office to come up with an official calendar of all city festivals and significant events by designating dates for each festival or event for better promotion and to avoid a duplication of activities.
Under Resolution No. 246, series of 2021, signed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, local legislators stated that while the conduct of festivals and significant events are undeniably formidable tools to promote the city as one of the premier tourist destination in the country, repercussions may arise if the said activities are not properly managed, thus strategic management of local festivals and events is needed, including systematically spreading out schedules across the year, establishing event’s main focus and specific targets, gaining local support and social acceptability, inclusion of power branding anchored with Baguio culture, heritage and environment, designation of event managers and organizers and identification of potent partners, be it from the private industries or national offices, to make sure of the success of all the lined up events.
The council stipulated that as time advances, more festivals and events are being introduced and organized by the city government and its partners from the private sector, including the Ipitik festival, Montan֮osa film festival, Ibagiw festival, Mangan Taku festival, Gong festival, Ubdan-daing festival, Panagbenga festival and other tribal celebrations like Ibaloi Day, Ifugao Day and Kalinga Day, among others, in the city, aside from university-initiated special events.
The body pointed out that the aforesaid celebrations and festivals are a significant add-on to the already established city events like the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming, Summer Vacation in Baguio, Fil-Am invitational golf tournament, Baguio Charter Day, Silahis ng Pasko, Christmas in Baguio, Baguio Arts Festival among others.
Earlier, the State declared that tourism is an indispensable element of the national economy and an industry of national interest and importance which must be harnessed as a potent engine of socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate investments, foreign exchange, and employment, and to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride for all Filipinos.
According to the council, an essential part of the present administration’s core service agenda is responsible tourism which is a practice of generating greater economic benefits from tourism while minimizing its negative social, economic, environmental and cultural impacts.
The council noted that Baguio boasts the conduct of various festivals highlighted by the one of a kind crowd-drawing month-long flower festival popularly known as the Panagbenga festival dubbed as ‘Festival of All Philippine Festivals.’
Moreover, the same was also the only festival in the country that was included in the elite list of different festivals in the world that compromise the prestigious International Festivals and Events Association as it was described by many stakeholders as the most disciplined and orderly festival in the country since is inception over two and a half decades ago. – Dexter A. See
