BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Every February, when the mountain air of Baguio turns crisper and the city seems to breathe in unison, flowers begin to speak. They bloom not only in gardens and parks but in streets, schools, marketplaces, and hearts. This is Panagbenga, the Baguio Flower Festival, a celebration that grew from resilience, flourished through community spirit, and became one of the country’s most cherished cultural traditions. The story of Panagbenga began in 1995, at a time when Baguio was still healing from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. From this period of recovery came an idea both simple and powerful: to hold a flower festival that would honor the city’s environment, culture, and people. Atty. Damaso E. Bangaoet Jr. presented the proposal to the John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation (JPDC), then managing Camp John Hay. With the support of the Base Conversion Development Authority and the immediate approval of its leadership, the plan took root. February was chosen as the month of celebration, a fitting season for renewal. When the first Baguio Flower Festival was held in 1996, it was fittingly billed “The Birth of a Tradition.” What began as an initiative quickly became a movement. Volunteers, city officials, artists, teachers, students, business owners, and civic groups all stepped forward. The people wanted a festival of their own, one that was unmistakably Baguio in spirit, color, and character. With the full support of city leaders—Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Representative Bernardo Vergara, and the City Council—the festival unfolded smoothly, its success carried by cooperation and shared pride. Over nine days, Baguio came alive with activities: a floral parade, street dancing, garden shows, cultural performances, competitions, and community-wide beautification efforts. Panagbenga had found its rhythm. Children danced along parade routes dressed as flowers of every shape and hue. Businesses created flower-inspired products. Civic organizations provided manpower and logistics. New traditions were born alongside it. “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom” invited people from all walks of life, artists, children, families, and even tourists to paint flowers that would later transform city walls into open-air galleries. “Session Road in Bloom” closed Baguio’s most famous street to traffic, turning it into a promenade of flower carts, sidewalk cafés, music, and laughter. Art, fashion, and heritage converged in events that highlighted indigenous weaving, local creativity, and the city’s evolving identity. By 1998, Panagbenga had matured. Community involvement deepened, and participation expanded across sectors. Burnham Lake, envisioned by city planner Daniel Burnham as Baguio’s heart, became the stage for a fluvial parade and boating competitions. Horses, a long part of the city’s character, took center stage during Pony Boys’ Day, where riders dressed as knights, cowboys, Katipuneros, and tribal figures paraded and competed, blending history with spectacle. Food, too, became part of the celebration. The Baguio Association of Restaurants hosted a food festival, adding flavor to the already rich sensory experience. Drum and bugle corps filled the air with music, while schools brought the festival into classrooms and campuses through academic, artistic, and environmental activities. In these efforts, Panagbenga planted itself firmly in the consciousness of the youth, ensuring its continuity. As the festival grew, so did the understanding that its greatest strength lay not in any single event but in the collective spirit that sustained it. This came to be known as the Panagbenga Spirit—a sense of oneness born from shared purpose. Government agencies provided structure and support, much like a trellis guiding a garden’s growth. Each year, Panagbenga closes with rituals rich in symbolism, flags lowered and entrusted for safekeeping, petals falling from the sky, candles lit against twilight, fireworks bursting through the rain. These moments do not signal an ending but a promise: that the season of blossoming will return. Today, Panagbenga endures because it lives where traditions truly survive, in the hearts and minds of the people. Born from shared history, shaped by collective effort, and sustained by community spirit, it remains a celebration not only of flowers but of who the people of Baguio are and who they aspire to be. In every bloom, every dance step, and every helping hand, Panagbenga continues to say what words alone cannot: this is a city that flowers together. (Danielyn Abela, PIO-DMMMSU Intern)    

CAMP JOHN HAY, Baguio City, Philippines — In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push for inclusive and people-centered governance, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has granted the Supreme Court of the Philippines usufructuary rights over a 10,000-square-meter property in Camp John Hay for the construction of a Hall of Justice serving Baguio City and nearby areas in Northern Luzon. The project will establish a centralized, purpose-built judicial complex aimed at improving court efficiency, reducing case congestion, and bringing justice services closer to communities outside Metro Manila. For BCDA, the initiative shows how state land can be strategically activated to strengthen governance and uphold the rule of law. BCDA President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang said the agreement reflects institutional trust and a shared responsibility to deliver essential public services. “This grant is a conscious act of trust between institutions committed to serving the Filipino people,” Bingcang said. “We are confident this land will give rise to a Hall of Justice that stands for fairness, integrity, and the rule of law.” Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta said the development is a significant step toward strengthening judicial presence and service delivery in the region, particularly in fast-growing urban centers. “[Their] continued support and cooperation are essential to ensure that the use of government lands is lawful, responsible, and beneficial to the public,” she added. The signing was attended by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, and members of the Supreme Court. BCDA Chairperson Larry B. Paredes served as witness, underscoring the shared commitment to strengthening the country’s justice system. The project supports the Marcos administration’s broader agenda to expand access to justice, improve government service delivery, and ensure that public institutions work more efficiently and equitably for Filipinos, particularly in the regions.  

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) declared that the camp remains safe for visitors claiming that the January 16 traffic road crash that claimed the life of a 69-year-old senior citizen and injuring six others is an isolated case. JHMC president Manjit Singh Reandi said that the administration is currently assessing the overall situation of the camp to identify areas where the necessary adjustments could be introduced to sustain the overall safety and security of the people visiting the different areas of the former American rest and recreation center. Among the areas in the camp being currently assessed are the sidewalks, railings, facilities, and pedestrians to ascertain which areas need improvements or adjustments. The JHMC official claimed that the corporation will widen identified critical walkways and sidewalks, install additional railings in critical areas around the camp, put in place or adjust pedestrian lanes for the safety and convenience of residents and visitors frequenting the different facilities of the camp. Reandi pointed out that the road crash opened the doors for JHMC to work on some possible improvements in the camp that will contribute in enhancing the safety and security of the people visiting the different sites. At the same time, the JHMC is also closely working with the management of the Cordillera Basic Sectors Transport Cooperative (CBSTC), the operator of the electric vehicles plying the John Hay loop, to ensure the road worthiness of the vehicles being used to ferry people around the camp. Reandi explained that the JHMC is also closely looking at the fit to work condition of the drivers of the electric vehicles to check on their mental and physical conditions to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future that might compromise the overall safety and security of passengers and pedestrians. Further, JHMC will also make sure that the operator will have the necessary insurance coverage for the electric vehicles and the passengers aside from making sure that their operation will be covered by the relevant permits from the regulatory agencies such as the Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB). According to him, JHMC has been consistent in closely monitoring the road worthiness of the electric vehicles being used in the free John Hay loop ride that is why the corporation also granted a space inside the camp that will serve as an office of the operator to ensure appropriate coordination and immediate action whenever there will be problems that may arise such as what happened in the recent incident. On the other hand, Reandi stipulated that JHMC officials had already reached out to the families of the fatality and the injured individuals right after the incident and that the corporation had already extended financial assistance to the bereaved family of the deceased senior citizen while it is also working out the appropriate aid for the injured individuals. He asserted that it is still business as usual inside the camp amidst the traffic incident as JHMC remains on top of the situation with the immediate response done by the corporation’s emergency response team who were right in the midst of the action within one minute after it was reported to the management. Meanwhile, The city government provided assistance to the victims of the road accident along Scout Hill, Camp John Hay last January 16, 2026 where one woman died and four others injured. Mayor Benjamin Magalong ensured that all appropriate assistance will be extended to the victims through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWD) and the City Health Services Office (CHSO). The Baguio City Police Office through the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) is still investigating the cause of the accident even as documents are being prepared for inquest proceedings. The bus driver was arrested by responding authorities. Initial report of the BCPO said the incident happened at around 3:20 p.m. and was reported to authorities at about 4:30 p.m. involving a Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) electric bus driven by a 52-year-old man from Itogon, Benguet. Initial investigation showed that the bus was ascending Scout Hill Road when, for still unknown reasons, it swerved to the left side of the road and hit five women who were along the area. The bus then continued forward and eventually ditched on the roadside slope. One of the victims was declared dead on the spot by responding Emergency Medical Service (EMS), while the four other women sustained injuries. The injured victims were given first aid and rushed to a hospital for further treatment. (Baguio PIO)