As expected, thousands of visitors – both local and foreign – flocked to Baguio City once again last weekend to grace our Panagbenga or Baguio Flower Festival highlights, the grand street dancing and float parades.
Considered as the “Mother of all Festivals” in the Philippines, this 22nd edition of the Panagbenga proved to be more improved than previous ones with its better planned street dancing moves and sequences, as well as its more attractive, colorful, creative and lavish float designs.
A total of 22 floats paraded last Sunday morning, 20 of them competing in two categories, the big float and the small float categories. Last year’s winners, Baguio Country Club and SM City Baguio, led the parade along with that of the local government of Baguio.
Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa, herself a Baguio girl, waved to the crowds while on board a float while taking selfies with the audience, and though noticeably tired, remained on board until the end of the parade at the Burnham Park football field.
Jeyrick Sigmaton, who became an Internet sensation after being known as the Cordillera’s ‘Carrot Man’, paraded on his own float and received overpowering cheers from the crowd.
The floats of M. Lhuillier, ABS-CBN and GMA Network got the loudest ovations from the audience for the popular celebrities on board. Jericho Rosales was on the float of M. Lhuillier, Bea Alonzo and Enchong Dee were on the ABS-CBN float, while Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards or the AlDub love team were on the float of GMA Network.
National Youth Commission head Aiza Seguerra and Film Development Council of the Philippines chair Liza Diño-Seguerra were also there and joined other guests and government officials on stage.
In the big float category of the grand float parade, adjudged as champion was the ‘Beauty of the Wild’ of the Northern Luzon Expressway – Manila North Tollways Corporation.
Second place went to SiTEL, whose float starred what looked like Princess Poppy from the Dreamworks movie Trolls, and which also showed off colorful parrots and butterflies.
Third place went to RevBloom, under the Department of Tourism regional office in the Cordillera, which had a cute little nipa hut.
In the small float category, coming out as the winner was Maybank, which also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
At second place was Coca-Cola with its famous red and white color scheme, while getting in at third place was One Atomic Marketing Corporation or Zenfone. It featured Asus’ mascot Zenny – the owl that will “lead them to the future.”
Strategically scheduled just after the grand street dancing parade and before the food stalls and specialty shops were installed for the Session in Bloom, the grand float parade is arguably the most watched and most awaited part of the whole festival.
Although flowers were the most dominant element of the parade, some participants chose to wear costumes that featured Baguio’s most popular products, such as woven baskets, strawberries, and “walis tambo” or brooms made of local plant materials.
Daisies, roses, Malaysian mums, orchids, chrysanthemums, Alstroemeria flowers and sphagnum moss were prominent in the parade. The everlasting, a flower only found in Baguio, was also common in many floats.
As tons of flowers were used to build the floats which were judged based on creative design, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, presentation and dramatic impact, the flowers used may be dyed, but artificial materials including the wheels must not be visible, making the creation of such floats challenging and thus masterful.
Panagbenga is, in fact, a local word that can be translated to mean ‘the season of flower blooming’. At the core of this festival is the need to respect and honor the city’s floral richness. This was one of the ways in which the city sought to chart the way forward following the devastation caused by the 1990 earthquake.
Beyond a bright spectrum of colors, the performances also highlighted Cordillera’s rich culture, from ethnic music to traditional dances. Some groups performed “tayaw,” a popular Cordillera dance routine, while others imitated the cañao, a dance ritual Cordillerans perform on sacred occasions.
The most spectacular feature of the Panagbenga 2017 is that it immerses the city in a sea of bright colors, pulsating sounds and delightful fragrances, making it a must-attend celebration.
Every February to early March, join in the fun and immerse yourself in one of the happiest cultural festivals in the country. This festival, marked with street dances and giant flower-decked floats, reflects the history, traditions, and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras.
Over the years, the Panagbenga has become a celebration of culture and beauty that we can all truly be proud of.