BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - Officials of the Department of Tourism and the  National Commission on Culture and the Arts(NCCA)  lauded the Panagbenga Festival  for sustaining the promotion and preservation of culture and heritage. 

“The Panagbenga Festival is not just a celebration of aesthetics and movements; it is a profound testament to the abundant cultural heritage, and vibrant creative industries of Baguio City,” NCCA chairperson Victorino Mapa Manalo said in his in his message delivered by Rene Napenas,  during the grand streetdance program on February  24.

“The celebration is timely for the National Arts Month every February, reminding us of the symbiotic relationship of arts, culture, and nature. When the flowers are in full bloom, the Baguio community unites, organizing a festival where creativity and innovation thrive,” he said.

DOT Assistant Secretary Gissela Quisumbing, in the same program, also praised the homegrown festival for promoting tourism, culture and innovation.

 “The theme of this year’s Panagbenga Festival – ‘Celebrating Traditions, Embracing Innovations’ - invites us to embrace innovation to look towards the future while holding steadfast to our cultural heritage. In a rapidly changing world, where globalization and modernization can sometimes overshadow the past, it is important that we find a harmonious balance between preserving our traditions and embracing the opportunities that innovation provides us,” Quisumbing said.

“On behalf of the DOT, and our Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, I commend everyone here today, especially the city and provincial officials for their unwavering commitment to preserving their heritage, and advancing their tourism industry. Your efforts serve as an inspiration to the entire nation, reminding us of the transformative power of cultural preservation, and the limitless possibilities that lie within the tourism sector,” she said.

Now on its 28th year, the month-long Panagbenga festival featured various events that include the Panagbengascapes featuring the entries of the landscaping competition, Market Encounter, school-based landscaping competition, Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio, fluvial parade, cultural dance competition and  Session Road in Bloom.

The two main highlights remain, the grand street dancing on Feb. 24 and the grand float parade on Feb. 25, which drew thousands of people who personally  saw the events, and many more  who watched  through  social media platforms.

This year’s float parade  saw the participation of  33   beautiful  floats bedecked with natural flowers, the  most  number,   and  considered as the grandest staging since  the Panagbenga started in 1996.

At least  four  government agencies- the  DOT, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Development, the National Authority on Child Care,  and the Commission on Election- had their own floats to promote their respective programs and advocacies.(JDP/ CCD/PIA CAR with reports from Khimber Advincula/SLU Intern)