Panagbenga festival flower parade attracts record 2 million tourists

BAGUIO CITY – This city’s grand flower festival parade of the Panagbenga 2013 last Sunday, February 24, was a big success with a huge crowd of two million foreign and local tourists, the biggest in the 18-year history of the festival.

The parade featured 17 floats bedecked with rainbow-colored flowers to which the city is known for.
Miss Earth Ricini Lopez, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Rhian Ramos, Gary Valenciano, beaty queen Shamcey Supsup and Robin Padilla led the celebrities who rode the floats as they negotiated the main city roads.
The grand flower festival parade of the Panagbenga 2013 had for its theme “Flowers in Oddysey.”
Freddie Alquiroz and Anthony De Leon, Baguio Flower Festival Inc. (BFFI) Co-Chairs, said that more than two million people  flocked to the city to witness the Flower Float Parade, the highlight of the Panagbenga 2013.
”This year’s event has the most number of attendees,” De Leon noted as he cited the much bigger crowd since Panagbenga’s Street Dance Parade.
De Leon added that both sides of Session Road were filled with people compared to previous years. 
Alquiroz said the success of float parade and other activities is a showwindown of the government – private partnership.
The yearly Panagbenga festival has become the major tourism event of the city and Northern Philippines which perked up all industries in this part of the country.
An estimated 20 tons of cutflower mainly chrysanthemum, spider, malaysian mums, everlasting, roses, ferns, anthurium, birds of paradise, carnations harvested in Benguet decorated the 18 floats which paraded around downtown Baguio.
Hotels and inns were fully-booked since February and many Baguio visitors have to be billeted in pension houses and private residential houses.
The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) has to field all its officers and men, augmented by more than 2,000 volunteers from communication and civic groups to maintain peace and order.
BCPO public information officer Police Inspector Virgilio Hidalgo said aside from the mammoth crowd that they had to protect, the law enforcers had to direct the flow of more than 10,000 vehicles of visitors which were added to the regular volume of vehicles of the city.
The Float Parade started at about 8 a.m. from Burnham Park and ended at the Athletic Bowl before noon.
The floats that participated in the parade included the NLEX Float which was decorated with sun flowers, Orchids, Anthurium and other flowers; and the 2013 National Year of Rice Sapat na Bigas float of the Department of Agriculture Float featuring rice sufficiency.
Other floats were the Smart Live More Float, Argentina Corned Beef Float, COOP Float, Jollibee 35th Years Float, Le Monet Hotel Float, San Miguel Brewery Float, ABS-CBN Float, Dole Float, Bio-derm Float, and Casino Fem Float. 
According to festival officials,  floats had floral designs costing from P400,000 to P500,000 each.
Floats with celebrities were the Placenta Float with Ms. Earth Philippines on board; GMA float with its artists from the television series “Indio” led by Sen. Bong Revilla, Rhian Ramos and others; ABS-CBN Float led by Robin Padilla, Smokey Manaloto and others; and M. Lhuillier Float with its endorser, Gary Valenciano. The floats drew cheers from the crowd who came not only to witness the entire parade but take a glimpse of their favourite stars.
Others who participated were Nickolodeon Float with decorated flower image of cartoon character Dora the explorer, Ms. Tourism Float, Ms. Benguet Float, and Lion Float whose decorated flowers were really design like a real big Lion.
The float of Ms. Shamcey Supsop with two giant big blue parrots and another bird is also one of the most captivating floral float in the parade.
The floral design of the Miss Benguet Float showcased baskets of flowers and strawberries.
Big designs of red strawberries made of flowers with vegetable harvested from the province of Benguet were placed near the back side of the float.
The float from Le Monet Hotel was also an eye-catcher with its floral design with waterfalls in front and with butterflies.
As the parade progressed in downtown Baguio, many enthusiasts and consistent observers of the very popular festival lined up the streets, some even climbed tall trees and roofs of houses just to witness the event.
Veron Arcilla, 42, a Quezon City resident, said she and her family waited as early as 6 a.m. for the floats.
”We want to make sure that we will able to get a clear view of the parade so we really make it a point to come early,” Arcilla said as she cited that the annual event is something they always look forward to while visiting Baguio City.
Panagbenga is an annual flower festival in Baguio City held in February of every year.
Running for over a month, it reflects the history, traditions and values of the Pines City.
It has been held since 1995 to help the local residents to forget the devastating earthquake in July 1990.
It features various events, various floral floats and native dances.
This year festival started on Feb. 1, 2013.
Panagbenga is a “Kankanaey” term that means a season of blooming.
Baguio City is famous for its beautiful flowers.