photo courtesy of: *…miEL…*
Panagbenga Festival also known as the Baguio Flower Festival is an annual month-long flower festival in Baguio City, Benguet – the summer capital of the Philippines. The term is of Malayo-Polynesian origin, meaning “season of blooming”. The festival was created and started in 1995 as proposed by Damaso E. Bangaoet, Jr., Managing Director of John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation (JPDC) to give tribute to the city’s ever blooming and growing flower groves and as a way to rise up from the total devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake.
The festival’s highlight is the 2-day parade and exhibition of elegant floats extravagantly decorated with flowers in a very stunning presentation along with a marching band. The festival also showcases street dancing depicting the natives of Benguet with the dancers donning a flower-inspired costume inspired by the Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of celebration originated in the Cordillera region. The event showcases also Trade Fairs and Bazaars and a food fest along Session Road which is closed to vehicles during the main events.
Consequently, aside from the economic boosts in tourism, the festival also helped the younger generation of indigenous people to rediscover their culture’s old traditions. The indigenous people were first wary that the government-led tourism event will interfere or change their tribe’s traditional rituals.
Come to the City of Pines and feed your senses with the ever glamorous fest of flowers.
