Panagbenga 2008 - Market Encounter & Landscape Exhibit
The Market Encounter is one of the pillars of the Panagbenga. As is the Landscape Exhibit. These two are the first salvo and last the length of the festival, and are located at Burnham Park. The highlight of course would be the Parade weekend that attracts tens of thousands of visitors, while the highlight for Baguio residents would be the week-long Session Road in Bloom.
Join me in this journey from this:
to this:
Of course there are a myriad other activities that are held on the occasion of the Panagbenga such as fashion shows, beauty contests, exhibits and exhibitions, but apart from Pony Boys Day, they are not as institutional as the four I previously mentioned.
One of founders’ best ideas was to try and institutionalize the Barangay Garden Contest but, without any commercial impact, correct me if I’m wrong, this competition has not been given the prominence it deserves. In fact, I did not see it in the calendar this year. Atty. Bangaoet once explained to me that this competition served to re-green Baguio as a whole; for Baguio to have as many mini-parks as we had barangays. So each community would find a little green haven of peace among concrete houses.
There’s so much to be said about the Panagbenga, and I reserve that for future posts. What I will show you now is the Market Encounter and the Landscape Competition because this is what residents and visitors see today. And this is going to be a long post because we have a hundred or more photos, and I have so much to share with you.
For me, visiting the trade fair was a roller coaster of experiences, most good though. But first one overcomes the unattractive facade to pay the token Php5.00 entrance fee. A lot of folks have stopped and judged the Market Encounter on the basis of its perimeter fence. But, in this feature you will find that, as in life, the deeper one goes the better things get.
Although the first stall by the entrance on the left is one that sells the prettiest hats, the first things you see really are the food stalls mostly. Not attractive, but convenient, so you can munch on something while shopping and promenading. Having not had lunch, I actually appreciated that when I visited it at 3:00p.m. last Tuesday.
But honestly, in a trade fair, food stalls should be at the back. Maybe that is something to consider for next year. Nothing fatally wrong in this case though. Just something to consider for next time.
Then there are the exhibitors, a lot of whom came from as far as Bicol, so this is your chance to sample products from all over Luzon. Of course there is the stall selling Muslim products but, as you may have noticed, Baguio has a rapidly growing Muslim population. Nueva Ecija with their bamboo and rattan craft is in full attendance, too, and we appreciate their coming over.
On top of spending money on stall rentals, of course you understand that housing, staffing, meals and transportation cost so much more! Maybe, to help out the exhibitors, the organizers next year can actually provide them, way in advance with a list of places so they do not have such a hard time of it. Honestly, sometimes these considerations turn off even the exhibitors with the best products.
This Market Encounter has a little something for everyone: while I might like furniture and ethnic stuff, the kids enjoy the ones selling magic tricks and tools. You can even get a tattoo! Or watch Cordillera MTV in one stall selling indigenous dvds. Of course Globe and Smart have to be there for they never pass up these events. There are interesting stuff for sale like gas-less grills doing brisk business, too.
There are a few Baguio-based exhibitors, not of the usual ‘foot rug’ variety and I was able to get a nice table runner. There was an exporter called Norwegian with the cutest wood decor, a favorite at the Christmas EPZA tiangge.
Honestly, I was hoping to see the best of the Cordilleras featured to a great extent. But, again, we cannot control who decides to join. I am not making excuses here. It’s simply that I see things now from a different perspective.
It’s a chicken and egg thing, really. Create good products, people will buy. But our tendency is to create products people will buy in the first place, even if they’re not original. When we are not courageous about our purchases, folks will create run-of-the-mill things to sell. No one to blame. It’s just the way of things. If we want to change it, we ourselves have to change.
A blog visitor lamented the fact that there were no prominent signs leading to the landscape exhibit, so this can maybe be addressed by the organizers post haste. For this is where the going gets fantastic!
The Burnham Park skating rink, which now has a roof, is in full bloom with, in my opinion, the most wonderful landscape exhibits in competition in all 13 years of the Panagbenga! These artists just keep getting better every year! Surpassing themselves every time!
THE LANDSCAPES ARE SIMPLY GREAT! AND THE SKATING RINK IS PRETTY ENOUGH TO HOLD A WEDDING RECEPTION IN!
We spent about 2 hours in the area, reveling in the enjoyment of folks who were promenading in secure, clean comfort, following a giggling family of Cordillerans with sleepy kids in tow who reveled in each new landscape exhibit they passed, pointing out to each other quite happily how this one might be better than the last.
This post is full of photos we took — the skating rink and the landscapes and plants for sale are simply WOW! This year everyone got imaginative with the use of fountains and water. When they reveal the winners after judging, we can hire these experts to fix our gardens so maybe Baguio can be oh, so full of curb appeal again! It’s so worth taking a look even if it’s just to copy ideas from the landscape artists.
I love with way milflores or millefleur are now available in so many beautiful colors. I so many varieties of cactii are now available.
I wanted to buy everlasting leis to make topiaries and the lady proudly announced that they were freshly harvested. There were at least three busy bees still sucking out all the nectar they could. So I figured I’ll be back there in a few days after the bees are done with their work. After all, the flowers are everlasting. Notice the bee in the center of the photo below… he’s there!
As we were leaving, the Department of Trade and Industry was just starting a lecture on consumer rights, as part of a series of almost daily lectures and demonstrations by different entities on topics such as hygiene, food preparation, and other important entrepreneurial stuff. It is great to note that there is this extra effort at educating the public, and both sellers and buyers.
We also interviewed a lot of the trade exhibitors, who were mostly happy with their sales, while others complained about low sales for which they blamed the Php5.00 entrance fee. Others complained of the presence of gaudy kiddie toy exhibits but of course the kids did not seem to mind.
Then we stopped by the Tourism Assistance Center across and encountered — ta-da! — Catherine de la Rosa who was busy processing new applications even halfway through the exhibit. Apparently some folks still believe they can make good money, especially when the tourists come next week. She explained that the Php5.00 entrance fee and perimeter fence were actually designed to protect the exhibitors from the alarming number of illegal vendors who might have entered the area and competed with the sellers virtually for free, and that would not have been fair nor orderly.
All-in-all, it was a lovely, lovely afternoon. Maybe because I had just come from the Pag-asa workshop and have come to see everything in a new light, or maybe because the experience got better as we went deeper so we could ‘forgive’ the not-so-attractive-because-we-had-no-start-up-funds facade.
Cathy asked me what my thoughts were (”Honestly?”) about the Market Encounter and I said, “Honestly, corny. But better than other folks made it out to be.” And honestly, if nothing else, visiting the landscape exhibit is an afternoon well spent.
What lessons can we learn from this?
1. Vision, preparation, seed money, a change of attitudes from mere materialism and commercialism to an actual showcase of the best of Filipino culture will make a better Market Encounter. It will only be as good as the products we Filipinos create, that we Filipinos patronize. If we also change our attitude to supporting those who are creative instead of buying something just because it’s cheap, the Market Encounter will get better.
The ones who were special, the ones who were creative and one-of-a-kind are still selling more and better than the unimaginative run-of the-mill stores. No matter how good or well-intentioned the organizers are, there are things they cannot control.
Why was there no seed money, you may ask, considering the Market Encounter is on its 13th run, just like the Panagbenga? Because of the culture of greed, I suppose. Much money has been made in the past but no one has plowed it right back into the festival to make it stronger. To whomever is in charge, I say: Whether the government or a private foundation, if we lose the essence of the Panagbenga as a showcase of the Baguio community spirit and convert it into a personal money-making endeavor, then it is doomed to fail as the years go by.
My call would be for a multi-sectoral assessment of the Panagbenga, taking into consideration the views of the organizers, the volunteers and the visitors and the residents, so we can decide that, starting our centennial year, the Panagbenga is going to be one of the greatest fiestas the Philippines sees year after year. It’s never too late.
2. Negative, destructive feedback merely causes folks to get defensive, and in the end. we ALL lose. Of course suggestions are always welcome.
Oh I am guilty of this, too, even if I choose to concentrate only on the politicians (well-intentioned volunteers will always be supported). So I would submit to you a bevy of constructive suggestions to justify my complaints. But guess what I noticed? No one really cares as much about the suggestions as they do about the complaints, judging from the number of comments a ‘complaining post’ gets. So I figured I have to change.
Of course we will still point out dangers, for how can we close our eyes to and merely accept threats to our universe? But I figured that if I focus more on bringing to you those who aspire for and achieve excellence, it will serve to inspire more people to do better.
3. In the end, natural beauty wins! The Landscape Exhibit is the place where I can recommend you spend Valentine’s Day, actually. It is most romantic there…
4. The visitors this year will determine the quality of the exhibitors next year.
5. Walls both turn away and protect. It just depends on the way you look at it.
Unbeknownst to us mere mortals, the Market Encounter served to remove from the area vendors who were allowed and encouraged by certain public officials to squat in Burnham Park. Some are said to be remnants of last year’s trade fair and are being coddled because they have promised future votes. These same vendors have been relocated to yet another place within Burnham Park, specifically the new parking area beside the Athletic Bowl. It is undetermined if and whom they are paying to be allowed to stay there.
6. The more volunteers, the less criticism. Maybe the Baguio schools can concentrate just as much as building good, selfless citizens as they do on winning the streetdancing and band competitions. Also maybe, instead of waiting to be called to serve, we as citizens can just present our services for free and in our small capacity make a big difference in the affair.
7. You really cannot judge a book by its cover. Had we shied away based on the negative feedback from a lot of folks who judged it by just looking at the perimeter fence, then we would not have seen this:
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I like the change, Lisa. It reads wonderfully! Looking forward to more!
And now I’ll pay the 5pesos to have a look at the landscaping
Maybe one suggestion I could add for next year’s market encounter is to offer incentives to join to sellers with unique products, or environmentally-friendly products, or high-quality products, or products-for-a-cause. For example, organic farmers, or a NGO selling community-made jams could be given a discounted registration or rental fee (not sure how this works) for a booth. I think we could also go out of our way to find these producers and invite them here! We wouldn’t even have to look too far, I think.
P.S. This is sad for me personally, but I heard the pony boys will not be part of this year’s panagbenga? Could some one please confirm this? I hope it’s not true.
The photos are breathtaking(i’m a nature lover but with a black thumb…heehee) truly, folks can definitely get inspiration from these…one just needs to look at a glass half full rather than the opposite. Happy V day!
Great suggestions, Padma! If they start planning in June, maybe. To give folks more time to prepare. When they opened applications in January, it may have already been too late. In fact, Nueva Ecija had to ‘pikit mata’ and grab a house that seems to have been over their budget.
Lemme ask the pony boys tomorrow. They’re a ‘block’ away from my place. If they cancel, it’s because they’re asked to put on a show for free and must not see any benefit from it. Maybe we can raise their spirits.
I, too, have a black thumb, Elaine! So photos nalang. But Nico took better ones than I did so he gets all the credit. I loved the surprise they have in store for visitors inside. Of course, if the outside is a nice sana as the inside, they could get larger numbers.
“Be part of a cool change.” Ano kaya ibig sabihin ito?
Slogan… wishful thinking… depends on the way we look at it
How about making it real?
Yes, as i remember, the P5 entrance always existed, but for the Landscaping Exhibit. I think it was to support the water and electricity used for the landscapes. I don’t remember paying an entrance fee for the Market Encounter before. But it’s the same thing. I still have to pay P5 to see the landscapes, though I have to pass through the Market Encounter first.
Hi Mark!
I used to run a food booth at the Market Encounter even in the late 1990s. Always a token entrance fee. Nowadays Php5.00 buys you … 5 sms messages that say “k!”
resty
“We need to be the change we want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi…quoted from the Baguio workshop
…ano kaya ang ibig sabihin nito????
…”cool” “OK KA ” “malamig” “GAME KA”..”YOU’RE in” “you’re cool”..alam mo ‘yon.Kaya “cool change” (medyo OK na pagbabago…something like that for starters).
Sa dami ng pintas, tumulong nalang kayo!
Tama ka Shane. While it is good to volunteer, we all have to stop for a while, take a step back, look deep into the good in ourselves, emerge with a vision for ourselves, for our lives, for our world.
Following blindly strengthens the good if the intentions are good, same goes for reinforcing the negative. We have to question to find answers.
The call for change is most important especially given the Philippine situation now. But it must not stop at surface changes, systematic/institutional changes or even ideological changes. We ourselves must change and together we make this a better world.
shane, and how about you? what help have you done for the city? i pay my taxes, segregate the garbage and despite that sometimes it’s not picked up. clean the front of the house almost every morning and before noon it’s dirtied up again, i don’t smoke so i don’t litter the streets with cigarette butts and spread second hand smoke to others,i keep myself fit so i’m not a burden to the government. when the mayor wants to build a multi-level parking structure in burnham park despite public opposition, set aside a portion of the park for vendors, add another information booth in the park, what is one supposed to do? just sit back and keep quiet?
resty
what have i done? all of the above you have mentioned, among other things. nope, you don’t just sit and keep quiet because talk is cheap,it won’t cost you much except time and everyone talks and just keep on talking, and still keep on talking.Napakaingay na! If only some could find time to “walk” and “do” things other than to clean the front of their houses and all of the above you mentioned since they all are self serving. How about coming up with a real good Baguio map? Design one and present it to one who is an authority on maps and its accuracy and creativity. Maybe adopt a waiting shed and make sure it is maintained come rain or shine? Or give a free seminar on values and attitudes to the PUV drivers? Or a seminar in shcools on how to cross the street, why we should not patronize illegal vendors, why we should not patronize street food? Give time for community work and sweep one side of the Burnham Park every Saturday or any day you are free? Or better still, put a huge billboard at your expense at the center of the old auditorium site that reads “THIS IS BURNHAM PARK.A PARK AND NOT A PARKING SPACE THAT NEEDS TO BE MULTI-LEVEL. COUNCILOR PROPONENT PLS DO NOT WASTE PEOPLES’ MONEY AND DO NOT KILL OUR PARK.TOO BAD YOU DIDN’T GET TO ENJOY IT AS WE DID SO YOU CAN’T TELL WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG WITH YOUR IDEAS. MR. MAYOR, PLS LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AND NOT TO “A” COUNCILOR”. Or better still, attend the City Council sessions every week and when open for the public to present or say anything, raise your right hand and speak out..”Hon. Councilors, why is Baguio the way it is today and what are you doing about it?”
The examples of the possible “do” addresses our daily complaints..traffic, the parks, and illegal vendors, city officials. Modesty aside, my “among other things” is “doing” the things I just suggested. Try it, it feels good and makes the “talk” fullfilling instead of just being part of the brainstorming that goes around in circles.then, we just become part of the problem.
Uy, sinagot ko lang naman yung tanong mo regarding cool change.apay kasla ka nga agungit.
padma
i was told your suggestions were considered and invites were made. i got to see the products from nueva ecija and pampanga. someone is selling a heatless stove, and across is a booth selling “smokeless kalan”.and they have this group from nueva ecija..if shoes is to marikina, slippers is to nueva ecija. community made jams and even hopia made by the NGO for the deaf are for sale and other cordillera products. am told organic farmers were invited but had problems with their supply. all their entertainment are local talents who do not charge talent fees. students and singing lawyers have joined hands to entertain the patrons as well as the concessionaires. am also told some of those they invited seemed to have this stigma .. afraid to be part of the change with the bad experience last year. anyway, should you find time to go, i suggest you enter the gate near the children’s park, it’s a bit lose as compared to the entrance fronting solibao.
Hey guys, while I love a good debate, each person’s suggestions and way of life must be respected. Of course some folks have more energy than others. Of course it’s different strokes for different folks.
We are the sum of our experiences — some are hopeful, others are jaded. Some feel they have paid their dues, some are willing to do more, some are just starting out. Some act, some react.
Whatever it is, let us all keep in mind that we work for the world, we work for our families. And we all want the same things in the end — a wonderful life!
shane, may i know if that is your real name?
Hi. I was walking around Burnham when I saw this enclosure, and got curious about it. The park itself was quite nice, but the enclosure was an eye sore.
In any case, I decided to take a look. I found out that it was a part of a festival. Paying the P5 wasn’t bad. Once inside though, I was pretty disappointed. There wasn’t that much to see, and had I not walked on the sidewalk to avoid the traffic of people in the middle, I would not have know there were stalls there offering their wares.
I took the time to speak to some of the stall owners on the sidewalks side and they’ve been having a tough time making up their initial investment, due to their bad location. I wonder, is there anything the organizers can do to help them?
The stalls facing the center seem to be faring better, and seeing as some of them come from far away, then I hope that it was, is, and will be worth their while.
There’s also a supposed stage in the middle which I think could use a little dressing up, and perhaps some checking too. It doesn’t look quite safe and I wouldn’t want any performers to get hurt.
The best part of this experience is the Landscaping Exhibition, which turns out to be a SEPARATE event from the stalls as the landscapers pointed out to me. So why then have they been fenced in, and why do I have to go through the stalls just to get my nature fix at the landscaping area? It doesn’t seem to make sense.
Anyway, I digress. The thing is, the only thing I enjoyed was the landscaping, although I didn’t enjoy the fact that the separate event outside, uses the center area of the landscaping as a staging area for their activities. If you’re separate them be separate. Don’t use the landscaping area and then say that they’re not a part of your event after.
Oh and one last thing. Is there anything that can be done about the signs outside on the fence? Specially the ones near the entrance. The tarps stick out, and they’re not aesthetically pleasing. Couldn’t they just stick it straight to the fence? I think that would have looked better. As it is, it’s a health hazzard as I’ve noticed more than one person tripping on the poles sticking out.
Help anyone?
hi lisa,
my mom is coming up today. i’m gonna date her at the landscaping exhibit. all because i got inspired by your blog.
wonderful pics, nico.
Thanks, Mike, for sharing your observations and suggestions with us. I am sure the Market Encounter organizers will take them into consideration. There’s always room for imporovement.
And what folks should realize is that, unsolicited advice is a person’s way of caring (of course there are those who are just plain mean and they must be ignored) and showing that he is willing to patronize and event or product still. Feedback in any form should be welcomed by the organizers.
Hello Grace, hope your mom enjoyed the landscape exhibits.
yehey wipppeeeeyyyyy!!!!!
libre na ang market encounter… BKT kaya??? heheh anyways its olllllllllllllll guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuddddd wala nangg teket teket pa deba… hehehya
similar naman kasi iyong session in bloom and market encounter, bakit pa ako mag bayad ng 5 pesos kung sa session libre. when i went to see market encounter, baguio’s best choice strawberry jam was being sold for 180 pesos, same at the city market. here in session in bloom, it’s selling for 130 pesos.
Hello Resty,
Kasi nga, Panagbenga has turned so palengke! It’s the same as Baguio — same items for sale everywhere. No one is creative anymore, just selling the same thing the neighbor is selling.
And the city just wants more and more of these markets, so everyone will complain of low sales, will keep everyone poor and dependent on the new feudal lords, the new “Poong Maylupa” — the politicians and school owners.
When has this city rewarded excellence? Supported the artists? It’s set on breeding citizens without souls. It’s killing the spirit of Baguio. It’s drowning us in fumes and fires.
Session in Bloom used to be more of a street party than a street market.
…it would be good to see mimists in session or miller the blind guitarist just jamming by himself in one of the stages in the morning or afternoon to entertain the day time goers. or someone with a saxophone just playing alone.
… or Sonny San Pedro making his trained German Shepherds perform the most marvelous tricks
… or a beautiful relaxed sidewalk cafe with flavored tea
… or Prudential Bank (or was it Rural Bank of Baguio then) making ‘pa-disco’ with swing music on their side of Session
yey lisa, let’s get it on!
it was good to see products from other regions being displayed and sold…baked products from trinidad bakeries which we baguio residents wouldn’t have tasted were it not for panagbenga…japanese nationals in their costumes and people having their pictures taken with them…the atmosphere generally was dry but street performers would have livened up the whole thing, like you said lisa,it was more street market than street party…went there only during daytime so the night atmosphere might have been different…but it was enjoyable.