BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan joined other sectors in the city in doubting the sincerity of some local legislators in supporting the annual conduct of the Panagbenga or the Baguio Flower Festival because of their obviously conflicting actions on a number of activities of the city’s major crowd drawing event.
The local chief executive pointed out that while it is true that they truly support the Panagbenga based on their pronouncements, their action in passing a resolution objecting to the conduct of the Baguio Blooms Exposition and Exhibition at the skating rink without any alternative venue casts doubts in their intention when the said activity is part of the traditional events of the flower festival.
He argued that using the city’s environment code and trade fair ordinance to justify the passage of the resolution against the use of the skating rink for the Baguio Blooms Exposition and Exhibition is not in order because the same local legislations provide for the exemption of institutionalized activities of the local government and its partners in the use of the park for such purposes.
“We should be reminded that the skating rink had been previously used as a venue for the conduct of the Baguio Blooms Exposition and Exhibition before it was transferred to the Burnham Lake Drive so if it was not allowed, then the city council should have prohibited the use of the area for the said activity right from the start,” Domogan stressed.
The month-long Baguio Blooms Exposition and Exhibition is one of the income-generating events of the annual flower festival wherein part of the income derived from the said activity is used to provide for the increased cash prizes of various competitions lined up for this year’s festivities.
Domogan claimed that the issue will be discussed in an executive-legislative meeting to ascertain whether or not the said activity will be pursued or there is a grand design to obviously derail the conduct of the flower festival which should not be the case and that the same should not go to the said extent.
From the earlier 280 stalls measuring 4 meters by 3 meters based on earlier plans prepared by the City Engineering office, the number of stalls with similar measurements was reduced to only 160 stalls so as not to affect the trees in the area while there are stalls with smaller measurements, thus, the need for the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. to review the P3.4 million bide of the winning organizers so that it will be proportionate with the available spaces that will be leased to interested exhibitors.
Domogan disclosed that the BFFFI considered the proposal of the private sector to transfer the conduct of the said activity to the vicinity of the Baguio Convention Center but the problem is that the facility is still undergoing renovation while the use of the old site of the city auditorium is not advisable because it will deprive the use of the area for parking considering that the said area is the only available space that could help in addressing the insufficient parking spaces around the city’s central business district area.
Panagbenga is the only festival in the country that was included in the elite list of festivals in the world that form part of the International Festivals Association.
By Dexter A. See
