Record crowd joins Baguio's Panagbenga '09 fest
by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak | 03/02/2009 2:53 PM
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It is always a treat to come home to Baguio City, especially during the Panagbenga season, because there is always something new in store for you. As soon as I hopped on a bus bound for Baguio after work, and saw the long lines of "chance passengers" and the harried ticket sellers, I knew that I wasn't the only one excited to go.
This year, owing to the fact that it is Baguio's Centennial year, the festival drew a record number of people, coming from as far away as Surigao, Mindanao to Vallejo, California (the sister city of Baguio). News reports intially tagged the number of expected guests at 50,000 but it reached 300,000 or more, based on official police estimates. No small wonder that this year's Panagbenga theme is "Our Festival, Yours Too."
My mother tells me that the Panagbenga Flower Festival, a Kankanaey term for "season of blossoming", was conceptualized as a way to help rebuild Baguio after it was shattered by the 1991 earthquake. Sort of a morale boost for the people of Baguio whose lives were shattered as well. Over the years, it has evolved into a tremendous tourist attraction.
I was amazed and overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who squeezed into the sidewalks of Session road (or climbed
on top of buildings), and other roads leading up to Athletic Bowl, where the parades ended, just to get a good view of the the two major parades held over the weekend. People went to great lengths, including waking up at 4 a.m., just to secure a good spot close to the road
All the hotels, inns, and transient houses were full. Anyone who couldn't find any lodgings actually camped in tents at Burnham Park or slept on makeshift beds inside jeepneys or vegetable trucks. Restaurants and shops, especially SM City Baguio, were brimming with people. Street vendors had brisk business, peddling everything from "strawberry taho" to buttered corn to sunglasses to cellphone load to silver jewelry.
In both instances, watching the Streetdance Competition on Saturday and the Float Parade on Sunday, I had to jostle my way through the crowds, angering many people along the way. It was like walking through a big, hot, hostile pool of oatmeal. In all my years growing up in Baguio and visiting during tourist peaks, I have never seen Baguio this full of people.
There were so many people that in the end, local TV networks like ABS-CBN Baguio appealed to viewers to just stay at home and watch the live coverage of the event instead of adding to the already swelling crowd. I have to give all these people credit, though, for braving the intense morning and noon heat and the likely possibility of fainting, just to see a view partially obscured by other people's heads.
The parades were lovely, full of vibrant colored costumes and props that looked wonderful against the clear china blue sky. The streetdancers
were energetic, clad in glittery costumes or body paint, carrying giant paper leaves and sunflowers. Some were dressed in bahags, the native attire, and danced to a chorus of gongs. Even some policemen, who dutifully marshalled the crowd, were wearing bahags along with their police uniform.
The 28 floats were bursting with plants and flowers, mostly Everlasting, in all colors of the rainbow. Marching bands continuously played popular tunes, including the ever-present Panagbenga Festival hymn composed by Macario Fronda. There were even surprise celebrity appearances from Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Ogie Alcasid, Wilma Doesn't, and my favorite, Jollibee.
I interviewed many people in the crowd, both tourists and locals, and many of them said that a glimpse of any of those beautiful performances and flowery floats would make any inconvenience (bruised toes, annoyance, or forgone trips to the bathroom) worth it.
"Maganda, kakaiba sa panangin, nag-enjoy ako sa panonood although medyo masakit, mahirap, maraming tao, eh enjoy parin," said Gilbert dela Cruz from Mindoro, who said it was his first time to watch the Panagbenga parade.
Even with the economic crisis, no expense was spared by participants and organizers to make this year's Flower Fest a memorable one. One of the floats alone reportedly cost more than P200,000. Although some locals noted a slight decline in the number of flowers used in the parade this year, they said they were still impressed by the festivities.
After the crowd dispersed, and the last of the floats was dismantled, I suddenly felt sad about leaving again, because it seemed as if the weekend went by too quickly. The Panagbenga festival and Baguio Centennial celebrations are not over yet though, with a long list of activities on the Tourism Council's itinerary yet to come, including "Session Road in Bloom", a week-long street fair where Session road is closed off from cars, and crowds are free to sample food and souveniers from the region.
I left the city with a feeling of hope and joy that in one hundred years of its existence, and more than fourteen years of Panagbenga Flower Festivals, Baguio never seems to lose the energy to celebrate, even in times of hardship, and make everyone feel welcome. For me, and for many of Baguio's visitors, it always feels like home.
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