BAGUIO CITY – The much awaited annual Panagbenga festival of this mountain resort city opened today with some nineteen contingents showcasing their sterling performances highlighting the Cordillera’s rich culture along the four-kilometer parade route from the Panagbenga park along South Drive up to the Melvin Jones football field in Burnham park.
The street dancers from the five participating elementary schools, a guest performer and 13 cultural dance groups that showcased the various festivals regionwide thrilled the crowd that gathered along the parade route from South Drive, the whole stretch of Session Road, Harrison Road up to the ground demonstration area in the Melvin Jones Grandstand where they received cheers from residents and visitors who eagerly awaited for the conduct of the festival’s grand opening parade.
Panagbenga Executive Committee Chief of Staff Evangeline Payno said that the five competing streetdancers and drum and lyre contingents were from the Apolinario Mabini Elementary School, Manuel Roxas Elementary School and Lucban Elementary School, all based in the city, the Tuba Central School and the visiting Rosario Integrated School from Rosario, La Union.
This year’s guest performer was from the Pugo Central Elementary School from the nearby town of Pugo, La Union.
As early as 4 am Saturday, the parade participants gathered at the starting point of the opening parade while residents and visitors converged along the parade route to get a clearer vantage point of the performances of the contingents.
Earlier, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, INC. (BFFFI) lined up some 18 activities for this year’s annual flower festival that will run from February 1 to March 2, 2025.
Payno claimed that 30 percent of the scores of the participating elementary streetdancers and drum and lyre contingents will form part of their overall score after the conduct of the grand streetdancing parade on February 22, 2025 to ascertain the winner of this year’s competition in the elementary level.
The 29th edition of the Panagbenga opened with a prayer at the Panagbenga Park before the participating contingents and the delegates from various government agencies and private sector supporters were flagged off to start the parade.
BFFF president Freddie Alquiros said that the foundation earmarked around P17 million from various sponsors and savings from the past conduct of the festival to ensure the smooth conduct of the month-long festivities aside from providing the needed increase in the prizes of the winners of the grand Streetdancing and grand float competitions among others.
The month-long Baguio Blooms Exhibition and market encounter at the Burnham Lake drive and the Panagbengascapes and landscaping competition at the Melvin Jones football field were also opened prior to the start of the ground demonstration of the elementary division.
The Panagbenga is the city’s major crow d-drawing festival that highlights the Cordillera’s rich culture that are showcased through dances performed by participating elementary, high school, college and cultural dance groups from the city and other visiting contingents.
The grand streetdancing parade will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025 while the grand float parade will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2025.
The week-long Session Road in Bloom where the whole stretch of the city’s main thoroughfare will be closed to vehicular traffic to pave the way for the establishment of sidewalk cafes and stalls featuring flower-inspired products and crafts will be held from February 24- to march 2, 2025 prior to the closing rites and fireworks display on the said day. By Dexter A. See