Panagbenga Festival (Street Dance Parade): Baguio City, Benguet

Me and my friends, Melody and June Diane, was able to attend Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City last February 25-26. Attending festival like this made me able to appreciate Philippine culture even deeper. After work shift, me and Melody (Diane followed the next day) went directly to the Victory Liner bus terminal in Cubao and as expected it's crowded. Lucky enough for us chance passenger, there were available seats and we left Manila around 21:00. We arrived in Baguio City around 04:30 and directly went to the apartment where we stayed. We stayed on an apartment near the Navy Base.

Me and Melody

Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City is a month-long annual flower festival occurring in the summer capital of the Philippines. Panagbenga means "season of blooming". The festival is held during February and was created as a tribute to the city's flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. The festival includes floats that are decorated with flowers unlike those used in Pasadena's Rose Parade. 

The festival also includes street dancing, presented by dancers clad in flower-inspired costumes, that is inspired by the Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of celebration that came from the Cordillera Region. Aside from economic boosts from tourism, the festival also helped the younger generation of indigenous people to rediscover their culture's old traditions. The indigenous people was first wary with government-led tourism because of the threat that they will interfere or change their communities' rituals.

This is my first time to attend the festival and I got too excited to took so many pictures. Haha! Now let me share you those pictures I've got during the street dance parade. And I noticed, most of the provinces in Cordillera Region participates in the said event.

At the end of the parade, tourists occupied Session Road and its too crowded. I was also able to see GMA7 News Reporter, Ivan Mayrina and got time to took picture with him. After parade we stroll around Burnham Park. Visitors used the park as camp site. That's for sure as hotels were fully booked during that period. It was also an unexpected meet up with my high school crush, Nina Jane. After parade we end up going to SM City Baguio to have some coffee and get recharge.

with Ivan Mayrina of GMA7

with Nina Jane

chilling at SM City Baguio

We enjoyed the first day of the event!!! Walking in a crowded place is fun for as long as you take care of your belongings. You better prepare your feet when you plan to attend the festival because it will test your patience through heavy traffic. Better yet walk and stroll the place for fun!