BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – – The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) and the City Government of Baguio are all set for the Grand Street Dancing Parade and Grand Float Parade this weekend.
On Saturday (February 25) is the Grand Street Dancing Parade and competition which will joined by 11 festival dance groups and 17 cultural dance groups. There will be four drum and lyre for elementary school contingents.
The much-awaited Grand Float Parade on Sunday (Feb. 26) will showcase a total of 24 flower-laden parade floats.
BFFFI reported that for the Grand Floral Float Competition – Small Float Category, fielding in their entries are Converge, The Fraternal Order of Eagles, Eevor Skin Depot, Mang Inasal, Solid North, Palawan Express, Province of Benguet, Unilever Philippines and Zaparita’s Garden.
For the Big Float Category, entries are by the Avilon Zoo, Camp John Hay Leisure, Coca Cola Philippines, IKEA Philippines, International Pharmaceuticals Inc., Jollibee Foods Corporation, Sitel Philippines and Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority.
Participating as non – competing entries are floats by the City Government of Baguio and the Department of Tourism; as well as Panagbenga Hall of Famer, Baguio Country Club which will have two floats, and SM City Baguio.
The two grand parades will follow the usual route beginning at the Upper Session Road near the Panagbenga Park, down Session Road to Harrison Road ending at the Melvin Jones grandstand and grounds for the program and field demonstrations.
Traffic re-routing, parade routes security and crowd control as well as safety and security of tourist destinations, public transportation terminals and city limits are all set in partnership with the Baguio City Police Office and other stakeholders
These two crowd-drawing events of the Panagbenga are expected to draw people from near and far especially that the grand street dancing and float parade events were not included in the low key celebration of the festival in the last three years due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
From street dancing to flower-filled floats, Panagbenga is a feast for the senses that attracts thousands of tourists every year
Following the grand parades this weekend is the Session Road in Bloom from February 27 until March 5.
Baguio folks and visitors can also still enjoy the landscaping competition and exhibition at the Melvin Jones Football Ground and the Market Encounter products and food fair at the Burnham Park Lake side.
The five – week Panagbenga Festival will end on March 5 with the closing program and grand fireworks display.
The staging of the Panagbenga this year with the theme ” A Renaissance of Wonder and Beauty” will boost the tourism industry and the economy of the city after the COVID-19 pandemic.(JDP/ CCD/PIA CAR)
