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Baguio abloom
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: CZARINA NICOLE O. ONG
Date: 2010-03-13
 

Usec. Eduardo Jarque Jr.

Flowers have always been a source of delight and inspiration for most people. Why, just its very sight can induce even the most hardened cynic into a euphoric state, and the sweet aroma it provides can deliver people into whiffs of fancy.

So when it comes to Baguio’s annual flower festival, which is called the Panagbenga Festival, Baguio natives and people from its neighbouring cities flock to Session Road just to witness floats adorned with colourful flowers and dancers decked head to toe in exotic garb.

This year in particular marked a milestone for the Panagbenga Festival as it celebrated with the theme “15 Years of Festival Excellence.”

A total of 27 floats graced this year’s event, with entries coming from Aboitiz, AMA, Aegis, Coca-Cola, Efficascent Oil, GMA Network, Jollibee, LBC, M. Lhuillier, North Luzon Expressway, Samsung, San Miguel Brewery, and SM, to name a few.

Some of the more unforgettable floats included a mythological-inspired one from Efficascent Oil, with a three-headed beast made of walis tingting and a real-live Odysseus in fighting form. The float even carried a terrifying make-believe Medusa.

Before the official entries came out, a court-inspired float replete with knights riding atop majestic horses and a party of dancers was waltzing dreamily by while their prince and princess (Karylle Tatlong-Hari) waved to the crowd.

The flowers used in the floats consisted mainly of the mums, pups, and everlasting varieties. Long-stemmed roses were admittedly tricky to include in floats, unless the stems were cut. Moreover, Panagbenga officials divulged that the flowers used for the festival were sourced not only from Baguio; rather, most of these came from vegetable farmers in Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, and Tagaytay.

The Panagbenga Festival is definitely a spectator event. It is one of those things which you have to experience firsthand, otherwise the memories you get from it would be different or not as special.

For sure, Baguio does not need any gimmick to draw in the crowds during peak seasons, which are Christmas, Holy Week, and summer. But its Panagbenga Festival, which happens every February, is reason enough to visit the city.

[ Baguio City Wiki ]
 

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