Panagbenga tradition to go on, sans crowd-drawing activities
The 2022 version of Panagbenga or the Baguio Flower Festival shall focus on landscapes, heritage and cultural creativity.
This is according to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who met with officials of the Baguio Flower Festival foundation recently.
Definitely, Panagbenga 2022 goes on but without the crowd-drawing events such as the opening, street dancing and flower float parades, Magalong said.
The landscape events go on, with organizers, participants and spectators needing to comply with the minimum public health standards (MPHS), such as the proper use of facemask, social distancing and frequent handwashing.
There shall be no gatherings allowed, including launching activities. It may be recalled that the flower festival launching was done months earlier than February.
Mayor Magalong said developments as to the Covid-19 Omicron variant shall be observed, but activities are subdued if the threat of Omicron pushes through.
The BFF events calendar shall be released anytime, Magalong said.
Traditional activities include: opening, float and street dancing parades, the Market encounter, landscapes, Session road in Bloom, Pony Boysβ Day, while others are sports, barangay and school-based competitions.
The flower festival started in 1995 with the project focused on tourists visiting the city during its coldest, and when flowers of different species bloom.
Next yearβs version should have been the 27th version, but with a two years absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. β Julie G. Fianza
