The Panagbenga Baguio Flower Festival is held every year during February and is celebrated for over a month. Activities such as the search for the Mr. and Miss Baguio Flower Festival, pop and rock concerts by local bands, Skateboard competitions, Kite fest and the Dolls of Japan exhibit are always cherished.
But the most awaited ofcourse is the grand parade where flower bedecked floats ramp down the main street of Session Road like gigantic sculptures. Very similar to Pasadena's Parade of Roses. Private and government agencies enthusiastically participate in this parade. Various float entries are meticulously designed with hydraulics and reinactment of various cultures.
Each float, according to their respective design is constructed for a week or so. Small machines are installed for added effects like smoke from an artificial camp fire, a cascading magestic water fall or a giant bird with flopping wings. Fresh flowers that are covered all around the structure are from the bounty harvest of flower farms found at La Trinidad, a few minutes ride fron Baguio town proper.
Panagbenga also has its own version of the Flower Carpet. Yellow and white chrysanthemums, red roses, purple, pink and orange daisies, anthuriums, birds of paradise dramatically complete the native tribal concept of the carpet design. Accentuated by a magical flower drop of all kinds of petals artistically worked by the Philippine Air Force Chopper Team.
The street dancing parade and marching bands competition is also a crowd drawer. All participants dance down the main street in their own chosen choreography. Participants should really be dancing and must have a live music of their own. Some groups are complemented by a drum and bugle corp, groups who choose to be unique dance to the rhythm of bombarding, heart throbbing and brain shaking beat of heavy tribal drums. still, their costumes would come in different floral designs.
Truly a living mystery of the manmade and the natural.
'Panagbenga' is a Kankanaey term for a season of blooming.It is also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, a homage to the beautiful flowers the city is famous for as well as a celebration of Baguio's re-establishment. Since February 1995, it has been held to help Baguio forget the 1990 earthquake that distressed much of the city.
Baguio, also known as the City of Pines is accessible by air and land transportation. On good waether conditions, it is five to six hour drive from Manila. Public utility buses may be few minutes away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport.For those who prefer faster travel and choose to do so by air, some airlines maintain a daily schedule of flights from Manila to Baguio and back, like Asian Spirit.
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