Panagbenga 2008 - Tentative Schedule of Activities
- knowing the Panagbenga is held yearly in February,
- the Baguio Flower Festival now is on its 13th run,
- the knowledge that tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of visitors will flock to Baguio for the colorful and exciting activities,
- the opening ceremonies being less than three weeks away
the Panagbenga Schedule of Events is released very late, as it is every year that it is not organized or run by its founder Attorney Damaso Bangaoet. For goodness’s sake, while I appreciate a prompt email response to my request for the Panagbenga 2008 Schedule of Events, why was I sent on January 8 just a TENTATIVE SCHEDULE?
- So much commercialization (Smart and Globe were allowed to paint their logos on the roofs of the pedestrian overpasses),
- Session Road in Bloom with so much bickering and folks like Edna Anton advocating only the sale of barbecue, siomai and sweet corn when she headed it years ago, and then last year talking to the press about how concessionaires were to harm their businessed while all the time merely wanting to collect rental amounts from those sellers who would occupy the sidewalk (hello — public property!) in front of their businesses,
- So much politicking such as when the Gruesome Twosome Domogan and Vergara declared “The Show Must Go On!” and had little children dance under the rain to accommodate senatorial candidates who were to walk down the parade campaigning (2001), or having Chavit Singson throw candies like a “Poong Maylupa” for the crowd to scramble after (2007).
- A hodgepodge of activities like a ‘Mr. and Ms. Fashionista’ or Korean choirs performing, or organizationally lazy moves like SM Flower Festival Events, PMA Flower Festival Events.
- Such lousy planning, as evidenced by the fact that schedules are never finalized until just a few weeks before. It’s only in last Sunday’s papers that folks are being signed up for Market Encounter and Session Road in Bloom.
Seems like it was just yesterday when the last Panagbenga was held. Now its here again. Will there be another controversial ‘tiange’ again?
So far nothing in the news!
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio is in charge of almost always controversial Session Road in Bloom (starts Feb 15) and is now accepting participants, while the Panagbenga Secretariat is advertising for Market Encounter (starts Feb 1)
I remember the first Panagbenga, it was so much fun experiencing Session closed and pedestrians can walk around without the vehicles and hop from one mini-concert to another.
As for the commercialization, it’s OK if they don’t over-do it. I see the need for sponsors and the need for companies to advertise but it doesn’t have to be “in-your-face” kind of thing.
I just hope this year the event will be handled well.
was a resident of Baguio for a couple of years and met atty. bangaoet(a batch higher than my mom at UP diliman) when we chanced upon his farm….a true lover of nature i must presume he was inspired when he started out this festival. In the two years that we lived there(we came down last year), so many crappy activities have taken the attention away from the event itself..and what’s HORRIFYING is seeing BRAND NAMES DISPLAYED on flower floats. for me that really sucked big time.
Tina and E,
The first few ones were handled by Atty. Bangaoet. And when he does something, it can be described with one word — CLASS!
La Trinidad was right in asking him to start the ADIVAY festival for them. That was organized and fun. La Trinidad was wrong when it did not give him a shot at becoming mayor (wow, how opinionated am I?!).
When the Baguio City Government handles the Panagbenga (especially when the unholy trinity was in power) it can be described in many words: COMMERCIAL, CHAOTIC, CORNY, CLUTTERED, CARNIVAL-LIKE.
hi lisa,
thought the pangabenga last year, 2007, was pretty neat. not too commercialized like the previous years and session road in bloom was more organized.
Hello Resty! I thought the floats were most beautiful and expensive last year. I guess the logos are necessary so big companies can participate and charge it to their marketing expenses. I never liked the Chavit candy tosses, that was done previously by Jamby Madrigal a few years earlier. If they toss candies to the crowd, can the crowd toss tomatoes back?
I think politicians should not be allowed to ride down Session Road in floats, on horseback or on foot. Always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
I loved the 1997 or 1998 Panagbenga the best. I liked the mix of al fresco tables and flea market stall offerings, the small float category with the rottweiler pulling a butterfly wheelchair. I loved Sonny San Pedro having his German Shepherd doing tricks for the benefit of all. I like it when Session in Bloom is more ‘party’ than ‘tindahan’
hi lisa, i certainly agree with you when you say session in bloom should be more ‘party’ than ‘tindahan.’
does anybody know the exact date of the float parade ?
hi! is there a specific schedule when will be this years panagbenga? I mean the specific date of Feb for flower parade?
maybe the city should have a panagbenga office all year round manned by 1 or 2 professionals. keep records of everything. including what went right, what went wrong. finances, sponsors, etc.
Jhay and Cherryl, the parades will be held on Feb 23 and 24. I think I mentioned posting the schedule at the Go Baguio Festivals & Events Page.
Resty, you mean they don’t?! Sheesh, the Panagbenga makes so much money they can afford permanent staff. And it’s not like it’s a temporary thing!
hi lisa,
if they did, they wouldn’t be giving us a tentative schedule a month before panagbenga, would they?
Hahaha, Resty! I was being sarcastic
But honestly, when the Hotel and Restaurant of the Philippines was mounting Chefs on Parade yearly, it maintained a full staff (also for organizational activities) and all the officers mobilized their personal staff for their committees.
When the Baguio Association of Hotels and Inns would mount the Tossed Salad Festival annually (they skipped last year — organizer and sponsor fatigue, they say) they would plan it months ahead.
Our city council concentrated more on giving themselves cars than the one thing that would benefit Baguio as a whole. Well, I’ve been saying over and over that Bautista wants to destroy tourism in Baguio so the city’s economy will be dependent on the diploma mills but no one seems to be getting the point.
From hahaha to boohoohoo.
…not to mention that no segregration, no collection controversy, lisa. took too much attention out of the panagbenga preparations.
Is this councilor pinky’s turf?
guys, am so excited to go der!
Hi Carmen,
Yes, tourism is Perlita “Pinky” Chan-Rondez’s turf
Hello Rae,
And we are just as excited to come up and visit! Despite the squabbles, Baguio has put on a great show every February — thanks to the residents who go all out with their costumes, dances and music!
Go Panagbenga!
Hi Lisa!
Here we go again…Panagbenga I mean.
I hope I can get time off from work to be there when they close Session Road.
See you soon!
I was also surprised when I received the schedule a little late. And it was only a tentative one, at that.
My family’s been breathing down my neck to get the sched so my parents could file their LOA immediately. And really, I agree. Panagbenga has never been the same as it was before.
hi lisa!
you’ve got a nice site! ^_^ your site helps us alot in planning our trip to baguio for the flower festival..^_^
keep it up!
Hi Lisa:
Have you heard about the tiange in abad santos drive Burnham park from Feb 1 to March 3 confusingly tagged as the Market Encounter activity in part of Panagbenga 2008 celebration? while certain provisions in the local government code allows city government to close parks during the celebration of a fiesta, i don’t personaly think that this closure is meant for commercial purposes,and any similar activities with commercial intent. Rather, but only for the celebration of a certain occasions., and one needs not to put a Trade Fair to celebrate any official occasions., and closure of a park needs not to be a month long because otherwise it will have a detrimental effect on the status of the park, After all councilor sembrano, rondez, and Mayor Bautista always tell the people that “PARK IS BEYOND THE COMMERCE OF MEN” and they also have an existing house rules regarding prohibitions of trade fairs {TIANGE} inside {Any PARKS.then, why they approved and allow these activities ? because this is run by a socialite group within the circles of their elite amigos and amigas who is always at golf with them ? Anthony De Leon is not a GOD, nor he is higher than the Republic!! The LAW APPLIES TO ALL OTHERWISE NONE AT ALL! there will no exemption to the rules, even if you are an ordinary people, even if you are anthony de leon, or pinky rondez it will certainly apply to everybody… and if the Panagbenga 2008 really needs to adopt a cool change, then, that change needs not to be misleading… i personally believe that changing the face of panagbenga also includes total banning of trade fairs ( whatever their gimicks ) in Burnham park, and let us join protesting hand in hand to protect our parks, even though our political Leaders has seems to have forgotten to do their obligations to the people and to the City, … LET US PROTECT OUR PARKS FROM CROCODILES AND MONSTERS WHO IS A HYPOCRITE, ADVOCATING PROHIBITIONS OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN BAGUIO PARKS, BUT IN REALITY RESERVING THE SAME FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES FOR THEIR OWN BENEFITS,. and may the law of KARMA and other related natural law applies to these people and their cohorts. And may this commentary touches the heart and soul of those who are really concern. GISING MGA KABABAYAN KO SA BAGUIO!!
hi marionne, shari and khen
Hope to see you all in Baguio then!
welcome ishmael, and yup, I agree. In fact, our good mayor tore up Melvin Jones last year when he allowed motocross activities to be held on Burnham Park! am sending you a private invite to something we are planning for a better Baguio.
Panagbenga is included in the list of major festivals here in our country,Ive been attend many festival’s all over the country,and I can say Baguio flower festival is growing yearly,tourist from all over the Philippines arrive,just to watch the street dance competition and flower float,I use to visit the Philippine tourism Authority,every January,and ask the schedules of Panagbenga,but this year they havent give me,cause they told me,the festival is already manage by the Baguio Goverment.I hope I could have the schedules so that I could send copy to my friends,here in the Philippines and abroad,
I heard that Korean will perform their natives dances in the street???why…I thought panagbenga is center for the cordillerans cultures ,music and dances,not a foreign dance,fastfood mascots,nearby province dances,and bands.Oh,I can feel that Baguio flower festival should not call Baguio flower festival,it should be call a global friendship festival of cultures and dances,and while the Session Road in bloom,this should be called a Divisoria in Baguio,this is because,all product in Divisoria is can be seen in that street of Baguio for one week,lover’s buy sweet corn and fish balls in lower Session and walk as a model going up upper Session,then when they reach Post office loop,they go down again Session road,buy a street foods,is this really a Session Road in bloom,just asking.
We should all be part of a solution,not a problem..
just a thougth,for what reason that should we really have to add the demoralized koreans to the parade?
definitely, i’L be there on Panagbenga. Kunana Feb 23, 24 or March 1…..
I am a local here in Baguio and I have always liked the festivities ever since when the festival was first held years back. Putting up the Panagbenga was a good idea. Each year I have witnessed the festivities attract more crowds. The floats become more complicated in design and there are so many participants.
Hey y’all. Wow such a mixture of opinion son the Panagbenga. I know someone working for the Panagbenga and the Person in-charge of the travestry that is Market Encounter is none other than Catherine Arvisu-De La Rosa and her cronie wanna be event planners Gigi Maranan and Cynthia Tabora-Tuason. Even though they jeered at last year being a tiyange, it was a heck of a lot better than the mess they made of it this year!!!.
Oh and as for the late releases of the calendar of events and any other fool decisions, well you can attribute it to the no experience, no knowledge and no background in events coordination Chief of Staff Amboy Guevara, Jr. whose only contribution is to show off his idiocy which is glaringly obvious the moment he opens his big mouth.
I feel sorry for Panagbenga and Baguio.
hello to all..and Dana thank you for your observation that for a week now it’s been a mess and I hope you will find time to ask me why and what we are doing about it. For starters, with all the meetings we had with the city officials in charge of parks with the ME to start 01 Feb, as of 01 Feb they were still deliberating on what to do with the stall owners as concessionaires were coming in to set up. However within hours they made a decision.They demolished the stalls and found out most were practically semi permanent structures, found dynamites and bombs etc…But then they say they could not move fast because they wanted to know who to follow, the official who wanted to relocate them to the old auditorium or to the bike area?
With all the screening to ensure no tiangge style selling, you have those who can tell you this but does a different thing the next..Then they say city official said this and said that.
These are just some of the things we are going through.
In my case, I volunteered simply because I want to give back some time to the city I love instead of just barking. I also wanted to see and experience for myself how it is to deal with city hall instead of just getting ideas from others. I also wanted to experience dealing with these concessionaires, the poor who wants to belong and improve their manner of selling and those experienced and supported by DTI from other regions. I also wanted to experience working with Baguio born 3rd generation
we just want to help and to do the best we can. If we fail, let it not be said we did out best. If things work out well..thank you for your support and kind words. But..it’s only 7 days and we have until 02March. We will appreciate any helping hand to monitor those who do not comply with the rules and regulations. Anyone and everyone is welcome. In the meantime, let’s just hope for a better Baguio. I’ve seen too many reasons why the city is the way it is and I don’t want to be part of the problem, does anyone?….Let’s give ourselves a chance to help.
and cronie? Cynthia and Gigi? oh my..At my age and their minds, I don’t know how I could have a cronie with the likes of these women…we just want to give back our time to the city while we can..and if you feel sorry for Panagbenga and Baguio, please help us find a solution to what you think are the problems. We need you!
Running Market Encounter, or any Panagbenga event is indeed a tremendous sacrifice on the part of the volunteers.
I am certain Cathy is doing the best she can, given the lack of preparations and the hardheadedness of some ‘occupants’ of Burnham Park.
The whole point of this article is that Baguio should be better prepared, considering the Panagbenga is an INEVITABLE ANNUAL EVENT.
Some assessments are in order immediately after the Festival.
In the meantime, good luck to all those who have volunteered their resources without making the Baguio Flower fest their ‘racket.’
Here’s to a successful Panagbenga 2008!
Cathy De La Rosa and Market Encounter? Ha ha ha ha! No wonder it’s the mess it is. I walked around and talked to the concessioners and she has yet to go out and face them. She’s there hiding in her office across the street from Solibao doing what?
Do your job. If you’re going to be the coordinator then be out there and listen to what your concessioners are saying.
Hi Lisa,
A friend pointed out this site to me and I think it’s really neat. I like the fact that you have a forum on the Panagbenga too.
I walked around Market Encounter today and I hope they’re open to some constructive criticism. First of all, I don’t care whose coordinating it since I don’t know anyone in Baguio anyway.
The thing is, if you’re going to fence an area in for a festival celebrating flowers, then I think it should at least have some color and design. The way it looks now, well, I’m sorry to say it’s pretty sad.
The people in the ticket booths are really friendly and helpfull. Which leads me to my next point. If the lady in the booth didn’t tell me to go see the landscaping, I wouldn’t have known it was there! Signs people!!! You need them.
I also went at dusk so it was getting dark, and I have to say that the lighting in the landscaping area was hardly adequate. You could barely see a thing. Which is a shame considering all the work and expense the landscapers went through just to showcase their designs.
Lighting was also inadequate in the Market Encounter area itself. Specially for the people who had stalls facing the sidewalk. If my companions and I didn’t decide to walk on the sidewalk on our way out since there was no traffic there, then we wouldn’t have even known there were stalls on that side.
Whoever is in charge, be accountable. If you see a problem, do something about it. If you can’t, then ask for help. Your priority should be the people who paid good money to join your event by putting up stalls or landscaping, and the guests who pay the entrance fee to come and enjoy your event.
I met up with Cathy de la Rosa tonight and she detailed the problems of coordination as far as Market Encounter is concerned.
>>It seems the illegal vendors being coddled by certain politicians in exchange for block votes are belligerent about vacating the area they have been allowed to occupy, and in fact have been offered an alternate location for them to peddle their wares — the auditorium area. If they are illegal vendors, why should they even be relocated? In fact I believe they should be driven out of Baguio if that’s all these recent migrants contribute to society.
>>It seems the problem with the Market Encounter is LACK OF FUNDS. There is no start up cash for this project because there is the brouhaha over Panagbenga funds being misspent or unaccounted for in previous years (why a new fund was not allocated by this administration for this purpose I cannot understand — could it be because our Mayor does not want tourism for Baguio?)
>>It seems there are no sponsors either because the City Council last year meddled into sponsorship funds although they had no jurisdiction over it as the project was privately funded.
>>I am told that the concessionaires from out of town are happy with their sales, although it was very embarrassing for Baguio City to have asked them to set up on January 30 and yet be unable to occupy their stalls peacefully until noontime of Feb 1.
Oh, guys, many things can go wrong with an event like this. I do not see how Cathy de la Rosa, who was asked to take over only in JANUARY can be blamed for all the woes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the original organizer of the Market Encounter was to have been HRAB (or is Session Road in Bloom their event?)
I know her to be an efficient person who actively participates in Baguio affairs in her private capacity. While we all complain, here’s a feisty lady who MOVES. I think that is commendable and I wish her luck.
My point is, the Panagbenga should be better organized overall, with everyone helping out. But , in the absence of sound leadership and a clear vision for where the event is headed, it is doomed to be a repeat, year after year, of the same organizational and operational mistakes.
More updates on the Market Encounter when I do a feature on Tuesday next week.
Thank you, JOSH, for your suggestions. I am sure the organizers will appreciate them.
ROBERT, I don’t see Cathy as a woman in hiding. Honestly, if anything, she’s IN YOUR FACE, which I appreciate about her.
about cathy, don’t know her personally but during the public hearing whether to allow the multi-level parking structure proposed by then councilor now vice-mayor farinas, she was one of those who spoke against it.
i still think the panagbenga preparations was side-tracked by the car plan and garbage controversies. the mayor should have stepped up instead of shying away from these.
Hi All,
I am looking forward to the Panagbengga this year and I hope that organizers and suporters alike will try their best to make it a great celebration of the city’s great gift to mankind–joy in seeing man & flowers blooming as one!
You guys seem to have observed many things for improvement, I pray that you will be given the opportunity and the perseverance to see it through, and making it better with each passing year! mabuhay ang baguio!
Hi Lisa,
What I like about your forum is that you’ve put up all sorts of comments and views even if they don’t coincide with your own.
I suppose that Ms. De La Rosa is your friend, so it is only natural to stand up for her, but there are always different sides to a story and it seems as if you’ve only listened to one.
I think that in order to get the whole picture on the Market Encounter, you need to speak to all concerned separately and then make a decision on where you stand.
I don’t know about the rest of it, but I DO know that the Market Encounter was NOT given to HRAB and was assigned to the BCVB from the very beginning, with Ms. De la Rosa as the project manager.
Hi! I’m looking forward to watching the street dancing and the float parade. They get better and bigger every year.
And about the international performers, the Japanese and the Koreans, well I’m looking forward to it too. It just goes to show that our little city is becoming more globally diverse doesn’t it? And it show that the Panagbenga has become famous enough to get international attention.
Even though the very heart of the Panagbenga celebrates the beauty of nature and the Cordilleran culture, I also think that the festival should incorporate changes in our society as well, such as a growing international community.
Well, that’s about it. I hope everybody enjoys the festival!
Hi Luisa,
Honestly a cursory look at the Market Encounter dismayed me. As I said, I will go and investigate on TUESDAY (am in an intensive workshop all weekend). I just happened to see Cathy at O Mai Khan last night and actually accosted her with the feedback from Baguio residents on- and offline!
As I mentioned, she gave me her side of the organizational and operational problems. We have to know what the problems are so we can make the wonderful Panagbenga better and better every year.
Had someone else been in charge and I chanced upon them, I would have asked for their side, too.
As for the vendors occupying Burnham Park, I prefer that they not be there in the first place. As for Market Encounter, I would have preferred they chose another venue.
If you read my other posts, like Resty, I prefer that Burnham Park be more of a green park than a market or an amusement park. I wish Botanical Garden to me more of a forest reserve than the planned Korean Theme Park that Peter Rey has in store for us.
If I were to stand up for Cathy, I would have shielded her from all the comments in the first place by not even publishing them.
here we go again, its that time of year. They have posted their imaginary events by maharlika. The only sure thing is the parades on saturday and sunday. Whats up with the 5 peso entrance fee at the skating rink. Whose the genius behind that lol.
Hi Russel,
Apparently there’s more to the Market Encounter than meets the eye. Please see my Valentine’s Day Post — coming up once I upload the photos in a bit.
Honestly, the entrance fee serves a good purpose, as does the impromptu perimeter fence. Besides, it’s not as if Php5.00 will make you poor. Hahaha! Besides again, the Market Encounter has always charged Php5.00 — for 13 years (as does the EPZA tiangge). No inflation here.
Hi Russel,
Apparently there’s more to the Market Encounter than meets the eye. Please see my Valentine’s Day Post — coming up once I upload the photos in a bit.
Honestly, the token entrance fee serves a good purpose, as does the impromptu perimeter fence, as will be explained.
Besides, it’s not as if Php5.00 will make you poor. Hahaha!
Besides again, the Market Encounter has always charged Php5.00 — for 13 years (as does the EPZA tiangge). No inflation here.
hi. i’ve been reading comments regarding the panagbenga. probably it’s time for me to come out and share a lot, i mean a lot of things. the secretariat of the panagbenga this year was given to BCVB,an NGO, private sector lead, NON-PROFIT organization (i really mean “NON-PROFIT”), but the thing is that i’ve been hearing the organizers all want is MONEY. i know a lot because i have connections inside. frankly speaking, the LGU doesn’t have anything to do with all this “kapalpakan”. why not ask the organizers who hide when they feel that something will already go wrong like the one handling the market encounter.
i would like to share a lot of things but not now. :o)
Jap, I feel you. I’m sure you are privy to greed. And when the Panagbenga system says: “We need this event to happen, we will not give you seed money, you find your funds, you keep the profits” the essence of the event is lost.
Some organizers are even adamant: Why should I render an accounting? This is all MY work! But the city would have given the use of the land for free, the garbage collection, the police for free. For the parades, the citizens spend so much, rehearse so much to participate!
The problem is the institution of the Panagbenga as it has ‘evolved.’ We must take a step back and assess “What are we doing this for?” and hopefully come up with the answer that we are doing this for Baguio and not for ourselves.
I can imagine how disillusioned volunteers can become…
We can still turn things around.
lisa, i would like to meet you because i would like to talk to you personally. i’ve read a lot and have a lot to say.
Hi Jap,
I will be back in Baguio tomorrow. But maybe we can meet up on Monday or Tuesday next week instead, after the parades? Will email you
Hi Lisa / all,
heard a lot about flower festival, I plan to be there next year (2009). Can I know the date in 2009 for the Grand Parade in Baguio.
Thanks
Hi, the grand parade is usually held on the 3rd weekend of February, so it’ll be safe for you to plan a trip around the dates of Feb 21-22. Try to come in a day before, as the parades start early in the morning, and leave a day after to avoid the traffic going down.
As soon as the Panagbenga Secretariat release schedules, they will be published at http://www.gobaguio.com.
Hope this helps.