Baguio's Panagbenga festival kicks off

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The sweet smell of flowers is in the air as the annual Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga (A Time To Bloom) officially started Saturday morning with an initial glimpse of what is expected throughout the flower month of February.

Kicking off with a flower mardi gras and street dancing, hundreds of street dancers ushered in Baguio streets the festival mood despite an initial tiff between private organizers and some city officials.

But a 'win-win' solution prevailed, said Federico Alquiros, co-chairman of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, who, with another co-chairman Anthony de Leon initially figured in a dispute with Councilor Elmer Datuin, the city council’s tourism committee chairman, over supposed fund disbursement transparency woes.

Both parties have agreed to settle the differences, added Alquiros, seeing another huge success for the month-long celebration themed “Inspiring the community for a greener tomorrow."

This year’s Panagbenga theme, Mayor Mauricio Domogan said, aptly answers today’s challenges on climate change that should not be ignored.

“The festival should swing toward the environment,” he told revelers, adding, “we should all be instruments in healing the world.”

“Our unity keeps inspiring us to continue,”  Rep. Nicasio Aliping said.

Initial problems are already water under the bridge, De Leon said, adding that today’s opening is a perfect timing for revelers all the way coming from the lowlands to join the opening with the long weekend. 

As early as Thursday, Baguio traffic worsened with revelers coming into the city for the festival’s opening.