BAGUIO CITY – With the theme “Blossoms Beyond Boundaries”, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) announced that Baguio City is all set for the grand celebration of the 29th Panagbenga Festival, the grand street dancing parade and grand floral float parade on February 22-23.
Evangeline Payno, chief of staff of Panagbenga, said that five elementary drum and lyre will return for their street dance competition and seven participants in the open category festival dance competition.
The five elementary drum and lyre are Mabini Elementary School, Manuel Roxas Elementary School, Tuba Central Elementary School, Rosario Elyu DLC and El Tribu D.Lucban.
In the festival dance competition are Bitulok Tribe, of Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija; Saint Louis University, Pinsao National High School Cultural Essemble, Amputi Layag Street Dancers, of San Carlos City, Pangasinan; Tribu Hiraya Manawari-Linubian Festival, of Poblacion East, Rosario, La Union; Tawid A Balitok, of Bacnotan, La Union and Bibyun Lubuagan, of Lubuagan, Kalinga.
Also participating in the parade as guest performers are the famous Citizen Brigade Band of Dasmarinas, Cavite and Bureau of Fire Department Street Dance Performers.
The parade will start at 8:00 a.m. led by the Philippine Military Academy Colorful Band, PMA cadets, city government officials, foreign sister cities delegation, Baguio Tourism Council and Liga ng mga Punong Barangay.
Also participating are the Saint Louis Marching Band, BFFFI and Little Panagbenga 2025.
Payno also reported the increase in participants in the floral float parade this year with 42, 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 participating in the parade are the City Government float; Department of Tourism float; Hall of Fame Baguio Country Club, SM Prime Holding, Inc. and other floats, all non-competing entries.
City Director Ruel Tagel, of the Baguio City Police Office, announced their public safety and security plan to ensure the security of parade spectators.
According to Tagel, a total of 1,200 police officers will be deployed along the parade route, along with force multipliers who will serve as crowd control and maintain order in the parade flow.
“We have also deployed police in civilian clothes to monitor miscreants who may prey on the parade. There are also spotters assigned and police assigned at the city boundaries and there are police assistance desks and medical teams. The BCPO is ready to maintain security during the two major events of Panagbenga,” Tagel said.
Maj. James Dogao, of the Traffic Management Unit, said that all traffic personnel and enforcers will also be deployed from around the parade route, to the outskirt areas to ensure smooth traffic flow.
Dogao said, like during the opening parade, they have implemented rerouting schemes using circumferential roads to avoid passing through the central district area, while the parade is underway. “We once again call on residents and tourists who are watching the parade to not use vehicles to go to the area, but instead to find parking areas away from the CBD,” Dogao said. By Zaldy Comanda
