BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan issued Administrative Order No. 012, series of 2017 suspending classes in the elementary and high school levels, both public and private, on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 and in the tertiary level on Saturday, February 25, 2017 for the grand opening parade and the grand streetdancing parade, respectively, of the 22nd edition of Panagbenga, otherwise known as the Baguio Flower Festival.
The local chief executive issued the order after consulting with the officials of the Department of Education Division of City Schools and administrators of tertiary and technical-vocational institutions in the city to guarantee the maximum participation of the students in the various activities lined by the event organizers.
“We have to give equal opportunities for our residents and visitors to witness the highlights of our major crowd drawing event considering that the festival is for everyone,” Domogan stressed.
This year’s Panagbenga with the theme “Inspired by Beauty, Nurtured by Nature” will be held from 01 February to 05 March 2017, where numerous traditional and community-led and government-supported activities will be conducted to boost the city’s robust tourism industry.
The grand opening parade, which will be the elimination round for the elementary and secondary levels in the city, will be held on Wednesday, 01 February to jumpstart the bigger activities lined up for the month-long event.
The grand street parade featuring the finalists in the elementary, seconday and open categories, will be held on Saturday, 25 February and will be participated by elementary, secondary, collegiate and other participants.
Domogan tasked the City Public Information Office under the City Mayor’s Office, the Depoartment of Education Division of City Schools, the Cordillera offices of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to distribute the information widely among elementary, high school and tertiarry education institutions in the city.
The grand openning parade on Wednesday will start from the Panagbenga Park in South Drive road passing through Upper and Lower Session road en route to Magsaysay Avenue, taking a U-turn in front of the Baguio Center Mall passing through Harrison road, Burnham Lake Drive up to the Baguio Athletic Bowl.
He pointed out the public will have a better chance to view the sterling and dynamic performances of the participating streetdancers during the grand opening parade and the grand streetdance parade when the performers will have reached Athletic Bowl because of the wider space.
However, Domogan explained the grand float parade on February 26, 2017, will culminate at the Melvin Jones grandstand as earlier planned to lessen the damage that will be inflicted on the newly rubberized track oval of the Athletic Bowl and the grassy portion of the ground.
By Dexter A. See
