Daily Tribune: Hope Blooms in Baguio

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Text by: Gabrielle R. Borromeo, Contributor
Published in the Daily Tribune (Life Style section) on Friday, 17 March 2017.

© Lady Bird Johnson
When the flowers bloomed in Baguio once again after it was hit by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on July 16, 1990 and the Pinatubo Eruption on June 12, 1991, it breathed hope to the city so it would rise from the ashes, giving birth to the now world-famous Panagbenga Flower Festival, one of the biggest and most-visited festivals in the Philippines.


The Panagbenga is a month-long festivity celebrated every February since 1996, right after the late lawyer Damaso Bangaoet Jr. spearheaded the recovery idea just the year before, presenting to the John Hay Poro Point Development Corp. (JPDC) Board of Directors what he had in mind when he was then the firm’s vice president. The City of Pines was in a really bad shape that local business was not at all prospering; even visitors had no reason to visit this city.
The Panagbenga Flower Festival was launched to boost the flower industry, attract tourists, put the city back on the tourism map and establish the economy once more after being crippled for years by the calamities the city faced. Visitors started coming and, in due time, more hotels, restaurants and other establishments catered to the thousands of people visiting Baguio City. It was decided that the festival would be held every February, not just because of the perfect weather, but also because it is a lean month for local entrepreneurs and a quiet month after the Christmas and New Year holidays.


Panagbenga is a local word, specifically a Kankanaey term for “a season of blossoming, a time for flowering.” It was suggested by archivist and curator of the Saint Louis University Museum Ike Picpican. Also specially for the Panagbenga Flower Festival, a festival hymn was composed by Prof. Macario Fronda, band master of the St. Louis University. It can be heard throughout the month and the rhythm and movement move native dancers during the festival. The Bendian dances performed at the parade are movements developed by the Ibaloi of the Cordillera Region.







An identity for the festival was born, flower enthusiasts were formed, and the story of hope was set in motion. It is a festival that reflects on the history, traditions and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras. It highlights the flowers that abound in the Cordilleras, showcasing many floral floats of spectacular designs.

Each year’s Panagbenga Festival is special on its own, but this year was much grander and brighter, as everyone who had witnessed the previous years claimed. I was more than excited to celebrate this festival for the first time, even if I was born in Baguio. It was such an exciting milestone in my life that I was up early, watching the sunrise on the way to the mountains. I was impressed by the itinerary for the media contingent as we arrived earlier than expected and even had enough rest to prepare for the adventure that lay in store for us.

Upon our arrival, Baguio Country Club (BCC) welcomed us with open arms, accommodating us for two nights. We were all privileged to be among The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) executives. Throughout our stay, we enjoyed a bountiful buffet at BCC for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also dined at a Spanish restaurant called Café Adriana by Hill Station located at the Outlook Ridge Residences and tried to do justice to the sumptuous dinner buffet at The Manor by Camp John Hay.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

The Panagbenga Flower Festival, unknown to many, is also part of the International Festival and Events Association (IFEA) in the United States of America. It has found its way to the international scene.


There is no doubt that as the Baguio Flower Festival evolves, it also reaches greater heights. An estimated 2 million people attended the two main days of the month-long Panagbenga Flower Festival, witnessing the floral-covered float parade and street dancers costumed in vibrant, intricate designs, dancing their heart out. 





Everyone had their selfie sticks ready to capture every moment that came by. It was no surprise that Panagbenga was one of the top trending topics on social media that day. It was a truly breathtaking, incredible experience. The happiness was contagious.

The uproar grew louder as famous celebrities on their respective floats appeared. Those in attendance were ABS-CBN stars Bea Alonzo and Enchong Dee; GMA stars Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards; MLhuillier endorser and heartthrob Jericho Rosales; Tropicana endorser Kylie Verzosa, who was recently crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2016 and Miss International 2016; Jeyrick Sigmaton aka Carrotman; and PBA star Asi Taulava. Also in the parade were the Panagbenga Hotties, who were men suited in their hard-earned abs and costumed in Igorot attires.

The Panagbenga is celebrated throughout February. The opening day is followed by the Baguio Blooms Exposition at the Lake Drive from February 1 until March 5. Then the Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio is held at the Mevin Jones Football grounds on February 12. Citywide school-based competitions take place on February 15, then the Flower Tee Open Golf Tournament at the BCC on February 25 and 26. The Pony Boys Day happens on March 4, then, of course, the main events that are the float parade and the street dance. Finally, the closing ceremonies and grand fireworks display culminates the festival on March 5.

The majestic float parade was capped off with the announcement of its winners. For the big float competition, Nlex/MNTC came in first place; SITEL came in second place; and the Department of Tourism came in third. As for the small floats, Maybank won first prize, Coca-Cola won second and Zenfone won third.

For the street dance competition, students of Apolinario Mabini Elementary School were declared the grand winners, while Baguio City National High School and Pugo Catholic School came in second and third places, respectively.
A CLOSER LOOK AT PANAGBENGA

During our stay, we were privileged to get up close and personal with the inspiring people behind BFFFI. These were Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, who is also the chairman of BFFFI; Board of Trustees chairman of BFFFI Anthony de Leon who is also general manager of BCC; co-chairman Freddie Alquiros and treasurer of BFFFI and The Manor at Camp John Hay GM Ramon Cabrera.
Were there any crowd estimates regarding how many were in attendance during the grand float parade?



There were more or less a total of two million people watching the two main events in this year’s Panagbenga Flower Festival.



With such a crowd, how was Baguio City able to control the multitude of people? Were there augmentations done to the police personnel and who were these augmentation individuals?
With a population of 2 million during the two main events, we did everything we could in our power to ensure the security of our city and our people. We had 250 manpower from our Baguio City Police Office, augmented by 50 from the Regional Police Office. Also, 300 of those who just finished their training had immediately been deployed in the event. There was a total of 600 policemen, aside from the criminology students (particularly from the University of the Cordilleras and the University of Baguio) that were present to work hand in hand with the other security personnel’s. We also had the Girls and the Boys Scouts of the Philippines ensuring the safety of the event. We also had different civic organizations partnering with us yet again. If that’s not enough, BCC also provided manpower that included a lot of their personnel’s and their employees. Last but not least, we also had men and women from the Civil Defense Office, most, if not all were in their complete army uniform. They all contributed to the success of this year’s Panagbenga Flower Festival. Best of all, they all feel happy to be part of the Summer Capital’s special occasion and for me as the mayor, I believe this is the success of the event when we are able to make people feel that this is also their festival. When people feel happy, people will continue to contribute what they can offer and this is what makes the festival go on.
In comparison to the previous festivals, what has changed and improved?



Just today, comparing it with the float parade of the previous years, there’s no question that this is a bigger crowd, a rough estimate of 2 million attendees watching the two main events. There was also a lot of improvements considering the line up for the floats was numerous. There were about 22 floats. Even the quality and the beauty of all the floats that participated this year was majestic. Of course, we’ve had beautiful floats during the previous years, but there’s no question that this time we had another kind of style and presentation that mesmerized a lot of the citizens.
In your effort to improve, what major changes were done to improve the Panagbenga?



As for the float competition, one of the major changes or the big factors would be that before we only had large categories for floats, but now we opened the competition for small floats as well. That’s why we have a bigger number of competing floats and those that are small to medium companies are not intimidated in terms of shelling out the expense of putting up a float making it more of an enticement to participate in the events. Second, before, there were the elementary, high school and college divisions competing, and generally it used to be limited to the Cordillera region as far as the street dance is concerned but you will notice now that we have an open category. The open category is not just for Baguio and the Cordilleras but even outside of the Cordillera region. There are those that participated from La Union, Pangasinan, and sometimes even from Nueva Vizcaya. We are encouraging other festivals to join in with our festival. It is not exclusive, it is inclusive, inviting different regions. The Panagbenga Flower Festival began probably 22 years ago, and the rest of the region and the municipalities surrounding us saw the benefits in tourism when you hold a festival so eventually all the other festivals in the provinces sprung up.



It is safe to say that we are the only festival in the country that’s registered in the International Festival and Events Association (IFEA) in the United States of America, a premiere association supporting and enabling festivals and event professionals worldwide. The objective is to bring the local festival to the international scene. We do documentation and send it to IFEA. Once it is satisfactory for IFEA, they can provide grants and these grants can benefit the festival in so many ways: (1) They can help subsidize the cost of the festival, and we appreciate any form of support we can get. (2) we can send a representative in IFEA so that they can do some further learning as to how to manage international or festivals events such as this. It’s a continuous working progress as far as the festival is concerned. We also have other capital expenditure projects for the festival, which includes improvements of parks, and this is more of long-term so that it’s not just the festival, the parade or the events that are attractions, we also need to develop the parks, because it takes part in showcasing the festival.
With 2 million viewers in the Panagbenga Flower Festival, how big is the share for the local tourists and the international tourists?



I believe 85 to 90 percent were mostly locals, while 10 to 15 percent were from the overseas. I am very proud that our country is participating in local events.
It was interesting to see that there were foreign delegates during the festival. Can you tell us something more about your partnerships with them?



This year, the Panagbenga Flower Festival had a lot of guests, both who are no less than the Secretary of Interior and Local Government Ismael Sueno and the former Secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism Ramon Jimenez Jr. Aside from our local sister municipalities, we also had participants from Candelaria, Quezon Province which is seven hours away from this city.



Panagbenga was also truly an international festival with Sister Cities’ participation from different countries. Those in attendance were Paul Alimbuyao-Liaison Officer, Honolulu, Hawaii; Song Young-Sun-Vice Mayor, Taebaek, South Korea; Oh Si Duck-Mayor, Gongju, South Korea; Komei Kawata-Mayor, Hanyu, Japan; Jo Junghyeon-General of Administrative Management Incheon South Korea and Yeonsu Gu, Incheon South Korea.)
What do you look for in a sister city?



First, we look for similarities in historical basis, second would be the student’s cultural education exchange, third would be the exchange in technologies and fourth would be the exchange in information of employees and officials to learn from each other. We are always look forward to the exchange of technologies so that our employees can learn their systems and adapt it. We also share what we are good in for their benefit of learning as well. In fact, the Tourism Officer of Taipei has been with us for six months and now that it has ended, another six-month extension was requested. We always look for this kind of exchange that we learn from each other. Recently we also sent out our Assistant City Budget Officer to witness the culture of another country for the said exchange and so that we can also promote our city to their own.
What reactions have you heard from the citizens about the Panagbenga Flower Festival?



It’s a mix reaction. Generally, what we hear from the tourists in the past, not this recent one or earlier one, is that they’d like to see more participants in the street dance or more floats. Of course, there are also those that want to see more celebrities in the floats. What can I say? I must admit celebrities really have the power to draw a crowd in.
I think it is obvious that the popularity of Baguio City as a tourist destination is really gaining ground. Is the city growing as rapidly as the number of tourists coming in? Are there problems with the accommodations, water, electricity, traffic, etc. How is Baguio City coping with this exactly?



Good news is that the tourism industry of Baguio City is helping a lot, it is a major industry in the city and we have a lot of visitors coming in. I remember during my first term in 1992, we have only been collecting 13 to 15 million a year from business taxes. It was when we started these activities, these festivals, that it jumped up to 58 million and counting. It has surely been helping the city.



The downside is that during this big event, most of the hotels and transients are full, meaning traffic would also be terrible. Therefore we are strategizing alternate routes, creating a different signage to direct the flow of traffic, and even thinking of available parking areas we can offer to the visitors. We try our best to prepare for what we may expect.
What are the other tourist destinations in Baguio that you believe should be highlighted more?



Here in Baguio, our tourists make it a point to go to the public market to have something brought down because they want people to know they came from the Summer Capital of the Philippines.



The Asin Hot Springs used to be a popular tourist destination, it is known to be medicinal and helps even those with skin diseases. Unfortunately, throughout the years, it hasn’t been improved but we are working on it so that it can once again be a destination for tourists.

Also, the Philippine Mining Safety Environmental Association of the Philippines has just finished the master development plan of Mines View Park, so we are starting to look for the budget to improve it especially since it was no longer included in the brochures of tourist attractions. In this day and age, when you go to Mines View Park, you don’t go there to look at the mines anymore but to go souvenir shopping and it shouldn’t be. We have already raised this concern, including the traffic problem because the accessibility is a challenge. When heading to Mines View Park, Good Shepherd, and the Mansion House, it’s all in the same road, the same loop. Basically, there only one way in and out and during the peak season, it can drive people mad. But again, we are improving everything we can because we want to develop and sustain its name, worthy of being called Mines View Park. To date, it still attracts a lot of tourists therefore it is worth the effort.

Another recommendation I can give would be to improve the tourism in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), it is one area that we are very proud of. Sadly not very many people go maybe because they don’t even realize that PMA is open to the public. There are even tours hosted inside. If I am not mistaken, there are two museums there. It’s a highly recommended place to visit and there’s no entrance fee.
But of course, one of the must see destination’s during the Panagbenga Flower Festival would be the Baguio Blooms in Bernham Park with its Landscape Garden Competition. It’s one of the major attractions of the festival. Ever since the beginning of the Panagbenga Flower Festival, we’ve already had this, but back then it used to be called the Market Encounter and was then hosted by John Hay. It used to only have 20 stalls with 5 to 6 competitors. It was and still is truly an intrinsic part of the flowers festival.
Who funds the Landscape Garden Competition?



The landscapers are given a subsidy of PHP 30,000.00 each by the organizers of Baguio Blooms, on top of the cash prizes they will receive if they win the competition. The winners of the competition are released at the end of the festival.
Please enlighten us on what the Metro Baguio Development is and how it relates to the Panagbenga Flower Festival.



As the Mayor of Baguio City, I am promoting the Metro Baguio Development or the BLISTT (agglomeration of the city of Baguio and 5 municipalities of the province of Benguet, namely: La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay). The BLISTT aims to reconstruct the city following the earthquake and the volcanic eruption that devastated it. The goal here is to reduce overcrowding. I am hoping that these municipalities will come up with their own festival and set it at the same period of the Baguio Flower Festival, but of course another date from the main event. This opportunity would not only give the tourists a chance to know other nearby provinces, it will also deepen the tie up and the relationship between the areas. Best of all, it will reduce overcrowding the city, as visitors would be able to concentrate on different municipalities. This would really help the traffic problem especially in the Central Business District of Baguio City. It’s a win-win situation, all the municipalities would surely benefit from it.



Besides, all the other municipalities have so much to offer and I want this to be showcased for all to see. Can you imagine if we all came together for this? If only Itogon could come up with a mining festival that could display different kinds of minerals that were mined in the Cordilleras, then that would have been such an experience. If only we could hopefully also come up with a strawberry festival in La Trinindad, where strawberries grow, this would have been another tourist attraction. If only we could start a banana and pineapple festival because after all, Sablan is the banana and pineapple producing town. If only could have an aba festival all the way in Tuba, then that would be a sight to see!
Regarding the Panagbenga Flower Festival, who are eligible to join the float parade? Are there any restrictions? How much does it usually cost to build the small to medium sized floats?



There are no restrictions. Anybody can join as long as they follow the standards because generally the float that they will showcase especially for competing, at least 95% of the composition of the float, whether it’s a small one or a large one, should be made of flowers. It cannot just be any other material to use. 



The minimum cost in building a float would probably be about P150,000, but if you really want a big float and you’re aiming to win, then it could cost up to P350,000 or P400,000, especially if you’re renting a vehicle and commissioning people to do the job. It’s not a joke considering we only give P250,000 as the prize. Even back in the days, the prize began at P50,000 and the cost was P250,000. That’s why I said, it’s more for honor and pride to build a float and to support the Panagbenga Flower Festival. It’s one festival that, I have to say, volunteerism is evident. It’s also our pride that other festivals that did not have float competitions before, for the longest time, are now coming out with float competitions as well, not necessarily flower floats, but nonetheless floats. We have become an inspiration.
Who dictates the budget for the Panagbenga?



It is the Baguio Festival Foundation Incorporated. The city gives a minimal amount of only 4 million pesos, compared to other festivals in the Philippines. For example, Sinulog has a 60 million budget, while Dinagyang has a 30 million budget. But we also generate from the sponsors about 11 to 13 million pesos but remember we’re talking about a month-long festival, so it’s a challenge yet again in itself.
Where do you source the flowers and what do you do with the flowers after?



Here at BCC, we source some flowers ourselves. We grow some and then we buy some from the market. But those from the market are grown in La Trinidad, in Benguet, all within the region.



Right after the float parade, on the same day, the floats are still displayed until 6 p.m. or at least until sunset in Melvin Jones. Only when it gets dark can that they can pull out their float because we really don’t want them to acquire additional expense if they are renting their vehicles and commissioning manpower.

As for the BCC float, what we do with the float after is we display them for one week so people who come here can see what the club had as a float. 

Just to clarify, the flowers are not thrown away right after the festival because these are still pretty good flowers. Some of the flowers are donated after to churches, schools and even homes, and some we dispose of, using the structure for some of BCC events and some for fertilizers in the garden.
How long was the preparation for the flower festival?



We usually start talking about it and preparing for it every September of the previous year. We usually issue the administrative order towards the end of October or November. We launch the next flower festival particularly in November so that the different school will start to already prepare it. Then of course the other components like the peace and order is very important, they are also always part of the preparation.
As mentioned, the preparation starts in September, but when do you start creating the floats?



There is a process involved, but it is a total of one month. You build the structures first that will hold the flowers surrounding the vehicle and then you start putting all of those flowers just one or two days before the actual float parade. The problem is not really the flowers because we have a market of it, that is what our region is known for, the problem is the manpower needed to arrange the flowers without destroying the others. Remember we are talking about flowers, they are very delicate. For your information, Shoe Mart (SM) had a thousand staff just helping arrange the flowers.



Also, during the previous visit of Miss Universe here in Baguio, Baguio Country Club, put up four floats for the Miss Universe candidates. We were only given finality two months before the said event, therefore we had to build the floats in less than three weeks. Imagine that, four floats in three weeks, and we were building it all at the same time. It is a growing industry for us.

After months of meticulous preparation, the Panagbenga Flower Festival was once again a success with the colorful blooms and the striking culture it showcased. No doubt in mind that it has the power to restore and rediscover the age-old traditions of the indigenous people to enlighten today’s generation.

Daily Tribune: Hope Blooms in Baguio

Daily Tribune: Hope Blooms in Baguio

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