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Panagbenga Festival 2023 is Here! Grand Float Parade and Other Major Activities Are Back in Full Bloom!
Look who’s excited about the Panagbenga Festival this year!
By: Kriszel T. Rago | January 25, 2023
Witness as majestic floats made of flowers once again bloom through the streets at Baguio City at this year’s Panagbenga Festival 2023.
Images: PIA Baguio Facebook page
Panagbenga Festival, one of the most known and grandest festivals in the Philippines, will commence as early as February 1 this year at the country’s summer capital, Baguio City. Panagbenga Festival’s Grand Opening Parade and other significant events are back after three years of hiatus. What’s new in this annual flower festival in Baguio City?
With the theme “A Rennaisance of Wonder and Beauty,” the City Government of Baguio and the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) launched the much-awaited Panagbenga Festival as early as December 12 last year.
Lunching of the Panagbenga Festival 2023 with a program and performances from Baguio locals.
Image: PIA Baguio Facebook page
This flower festival in Baguio City will last for over a month and is expected to be flocked by both tourists and Baguio residents, as it reflects the history, traditions, and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras.
Baguio City’s Panagbenga Festival activities begin on February 1 with the Panagbenga Grand Opening Day Parade. The parade will pass through Panagbenga Park, Session Road, Harrison Road, and Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds.
Hence, Baguio City’s local government unit (LGU) announced a suspension of classes at all levels, both in public and private schools, on February 1 to pave the way for the said event.
In addition, as preparation for the Panagbenga Grand Opening Parade on February 1, the Baguio City Police Office released the traffic plan for the temporary closure of both lanes of Session Road, South Drive, North Drive, Kaalaw, part of Abanao, Shanum Street, part of Jose Abad Santos Drive, and Lake Drive.
Street dancers and floats decorated with flowers flooded the streets of Baguio during the Panagbenga Festival celebration.
Image: PIA Baguio Facebook page
Other traffic guidelines are as follows:
Temporarily Close
● Lake Drive - Abad Santos junction
● Lake Drive - Shanum intersection
● Abanao - Lower Shagem junction
● O-Shape Harrison Road to Veterans Park
● Y-Shape inbound to Market
● Calderon going up Session Road
● Father Carlu going down Session Road
● Governor Pack Road to Session Rotunda
● Upper Session Road - North Drive - Kalaw intersection
● Kalaw - Utility - Upper Session Road intersection
● Upper Session Road - Marcoville intersection
● Teachers Camp - South Drive junction
● Session - Mabini intersection
No parking policies are strictly implemented in these areas
● Whole stretch of Magsaysay Road;
● Harrison Road;
● Lake Drive;
● Jose Abad Santos Drive;
● Kisad Road;
● General Luna Road;
● Lower and Upper Bonifacio Street;
● Upper and Lower Mabini Street;
● Post Office Loop, Father Carlu Loop;
● Leonardwood Road;
● Part of Governor Pack Road;
● Whole stretch of Session Road and South Drive.
These areas open to traffic
● Upper General Luna Road going down Magsaysay Road to the Bonifacio area;
● All other adjacent roads remain open for the Panagbenga Grand Opening Parade
Panagbengascapes: Professional Landscaping Competition and Exhibition and Baguio Blooms: A Market Encounter also begins on February 1 to March 5 at the Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds, and at Juan Luna Drive and Skateboard Area, Lake Drive Burnham Park, respectively.
Panagbenga showcases Cordillera-inspired dances by cultural dance groups.
Image: PIA Baguio Facebook page
Other highly anticipated Panagbenga Festival 2023 activities are as follows:
● Panagbenga Sunday Showcase on February 5, 12, and 19 at the Session Road
● Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom: An Open Painting Exhibition, Panagbenga Kite Flying Challenge, Panagbenga Cultural Show, and Funagbenga Fitness Frenzy on February 12 at the Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds
● Panagbenga Cultural Dance Competition on February 18 at the Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds
● Fluvial Parade and Mardi Gras at the Lake on February 19 at the Burnham Lake
● A Tribute to the Father of Panagbenga: Atty. Damaso E. Bangaoet Jr. Statue Unveiling Ceremony on February 24 at the Panagbenga Park, South Drive
● Grand Street Dance Parade on February 25, which starts at Panagbenga Park, will pass thru Session Road to Harrison Road, and ends at Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds
● Grand Float Parade on February 26, which starts at the Department of Interior and Local Government, will pass thru Session Road to Harrison Road, and ends at Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds
Hall of Famers and big companies are expected to participate in Panagbenga Festival’s Grand Float Parade. At the same time, as a custom, street dancing participants from the Cordillera provinces are invited to join the Grand Street Dance Parade.
Festivities at this year’s Panagbenga Festival will conclude on March 5 with a Grand Aerial Fireworks Display at Session Road and Burnham Park.
Baguio City’s LGU and the BFFFI assured the tourists and residents that minimum health protocols remain during the festivities.
With the return of the Panagbenga Festival’s significant events, this year’s flower festival in Baguio City is undoubtedly majestic and glorious—a celebration you don’t want to miss.
Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more exciting travel destinations and events in Baguio and Northern Luzon!
Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions. For now, keep safe!
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About Kriszel T. Rago
Kriszel is a writer, an aspiring multimedia journalist, and a strong-willed, pierced & inked modern-day kikay tita. As a former iskolar ng bayan–still one at heart, Kriszel is passionate about social issues and everything under the sun. She loves to read, watch documentaries, thriller-mystery series, and anime, cook for her loved ones, and play Valorant & Mobile Legends with friends. Kriszel dreams of being a multiple degree holder and traveling to every province in the Philippines.
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