By Zaldy Comanda

BAGUIO CITY — Colorful varieties of flowers andornamental plants designed on 44 floats participating in the grand flower float parade of the 29th Panagbenga Festival in

 Baguio City, on  February 23.

With the theme “Blossoms Beyond Boundaries”, the flower floats from the Small, Medium and Large categories, once again shone, highligting their float entries in line with this year’s theme, which will be the basis for the judges’ selection of the

winners. As early as 4:00 a.m., spectators were positioned along Session and Harrison Road to get a closer look at the elegant designs of the floats, some of which carried celebrities, much to the delight of the spectators.

According to the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI), this year the number of participating floats increased to 44, compared to 33 in 2024.

In the small float category, there are 11; in the medium category, 10; and in the large category, 14, all competing.

Also included in the parade are the City Government float; Department of Tourism float; Hall of Fame Baguio Country Club, SM Prime Holding, Inc., Paragon Hotel and Suites, Ilocos Norte and other floats, all not competing in the entries.

The flower float is considered a crowd-drawing event in the history of the Panagbenga Festival since 1995.

This year, the small float category will include the Baguio-Benguet Bonsai Club and Panagbenga Landscapes, Baguio Camella Big Brother Inn, Jack’s Baguio Restaurant, Inc., Kyoto Printing Services, Panagbenga Landscaping Association, Panagbenga Landscaping Association (second entry), Radiowealth Enterprises, Inc., Tecsphere Enterprises, Inc., Wilcon Deport, Wood,Rock and Flowers Group and Zaparitas Garden.

In the medium category are Chowking, Commission on Elections, Mang Inasal, Palawan Pawnshop, Philippine Retirement Authority, The Riles Ventures, Inc., Unilever Phils Inc.-Sunsilk, Vendors Group, You Glow Babe Skin Care Products Trading and Zaparita Garden.In the large floral float category are Activations Advertising Inc./Uniliver Philippines, Surf; Converge ICT, Golden Arches Development Corporation, Igorot Stone Kingdom, International

Pharmaceutical Authority Inc., John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC), Jollibee Foods Corporation, KFC, Narvacan Naisangsangayan, Pangasinan Solid North Transit, Inc., Pepsi Cola, Republic Gas Corporation, SCD-Eevor Skincare Depot and TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority).