Many newcomers and some returnees dominate the two major categories of this year’s grand float parade of the 27th edition of the Panagbenga or the Baguio flower festival that contributed in gathering residents and tourists to converge along major roads in the city to witness the resumption of the major highlights of the festival over the weekend.
Some 24 registered floats and 2 unregistered floats paraded along the parade route from the Upper Session Road rotunda up to the Melvin Jones grandstand signaling that the flower festival is back and raring to further improve in the staging of the same in the coming years after a 3-year lull caused by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 24 registered floats were composed of 9 competing small floats, 8 competing big floats, 3 hall of Fame floats, 2 special participating floats and 2 non-competing floats, particularly the float of the local government of Baguio and the Department of Tourism.
In the big float category, the float of the State-owned Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) emerged the winner bringing home the P500,000 cash prize, the Avilon Zoo float landed in second place with a P300,000 cash prize while the float of SITEL Philippines settled for third place with a P200,000 cash prize.
In the small float category, the float of Zaparita’s Garden bested the 8 other participating floats when it was adjudged the champion bringing home the P250,000 cash prize, the float of Mang Inasal settled for second with a cash prize of P150,000 while the float of Benguet Province shared the limelight at third place with a cash prize of P100,000.
Almost all of the supply of the flowers used to make up the beautifully decorated floats were taken from the numerous cut flowers of Baguio and Benguet to help them recover from the heavy impact inflicted by the COVId-19 pandemic that prevented the organizers to conduct the major highlights of the festival over the past 3 years.
The TIEZA float showcased its tourist facilities from Luzon to Mindanao ranging from hotels and resorts to specialized sports such as golf and scuba diving. TIEZA’s operating assets are the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel in Ifugao; Mount Data hotel in Bauko, Mountain Province; Club Intramuros Golf course in Intramuros, Manila; Balicasag Island 5 resorts in Panglao, Bohol; gardens of Malasag Ecotourism village in Cagayan de Oro City; and Zamboanga golf course in Zamboanga City.
The float design introduced the Bisita, Be My Guest campaign of the tourism department which encourages Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), overseas and former Filipinos to invite their foreign friends, colleagues and relatives to travel to the Philippines and experience the country’s beauty and its people.
The Zaparitas Garden float symbolizes the dedication and passion of the Zaparitas family. The said float showcased the 4 flowers, plants, and landscaping design that started decades ago and passed through generations now. The business is headed by Ruben Zaparita, a multi-awarded landscape artist and florist.
Zaparitas Garden is famous for its landscape designs and flower arrangements. With the concept garden of fairies, one can see giant flowers, butterflies, mushrooms, different flower arrangements and animals like the adorable bunny and flamingos around. There is also a wishing well with a trellis and giant umbrellas made of bamboo. The said designs are all made with various flowers and riding in the float were the delightful kids of the Zaparita family as little fairies and elves.