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MARCH 2014 APRIL 2012
LONDON
Splash PHILIPPINES
MARCH 2014
LONDON
By Maurice MALANES
M
ORE than 18 years ago, visitors had no good reasons to go to Baguio City, the summer capital, in February. Some did for the sake of their children or relatives who studied at the Philippine Military Academy, the country’s premier military school. Otherwise, February was a lean month for local entrepreneurs.
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economy, Bangaoet says. No wonder, despite traffic woes and other inconvenience, all businesses—big or small— are happy. Hotels and restaurants, market vendors, flower farmers, taxi and jeep drivers, and makers of fruit jams, peanut brittle and other goodies are equally happy, he says. Baguio has yet to study the festival’s economic impact. But the acknowledged “Father of Panagbenga” has already noted its “multiplier effects.” The city government directly earns revenue. The largely private-led Baguio Flower Festival Foundation pays at least P1 million to the treasury in taxes from rent of stalls at the “Market Encounter” alone, Bangaoet says. Residents are proud to have a festival featuring the best snippets of Cordillera culture as highlighted in the street dancing and a local version of flower festivals overseas, such as Pasadena’s Rose Parade in California. Such pride has also sunk into their psyche so much so that they have become conscious to help beautify Baguio despite the city’s continuing war on waste. Bangaoet cites the small flower gardens in villages, vacant open spaces, road islands and street sides, which, he says, Panagbenga has helped encourage. Despite its success, Panagbenga is “still a work in progress,” he says. As he and the organizers continue to “find ways and means of improving it,” the private sector and the city government have yet to learn to collaborate and coordinate well with each other, Bangaoet says. “It’s not nice for the com12:28 munity to be 12/03/2014 witnessing these heated debates and exchange of negative comments,” he
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Panagbenga: Sustaining a Baguio Tradition Australia
Austria
Many thus acknowledged Denmark France Belgium the genius behind what was to be called the Panagbenga or the Baguio Flower Festival, which was first launched in February Germany Ireland Italy 1996. At that time, the city was reeling from the devastation wrought by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in July 1990, which Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal practically drove away tourists. Only trickles would come in the mid-1990s, even during the peak seasons, such as ChristSpain Sweden Switzerland mas and Holy Week. All that changed after Panagbenga (Kankanaey for a season of blooming), a festival to town. He had thought that the UK USA celebrate the time when flow- mountain city, being known ers bloom. Eventually, visitors for its flowers (which actually main thoroughfare, is closed started coming, filling hotels, come mostly from nearby La for the week-long street bazaar, inns and transient houses. In Trinidad town in Benguet provFor more information and FREE SIM visit: “Session Road in Bloom.” The due time, more hotels, restau- ince), could come out with a month-long “Market Encounrants and other establishments “family-oriented” event and, at Buy and top up online or in over 115,000 stores ter,” where entrepreneurs sell sprouted to cater to the thou- the same time, boost the flower preferably novelty items, a sands of people visiting the city industry and tourism. landscape competition, sports for the month-long festival. Panagbenga’s success has Promotionthat is valid from 10-03-2014 to 31/05/2014. New and existing Customers must top-up to qualify for the promotion and will receive free Lycamobile to Lycamobile calls to anybarangay Lycamobile for 30 days from date and (village) garden And was precisely how proved to be phenomenal. of top-up. Customers must maintain a minimum balance of one penny. Offer is valid for personal use only. After the 30 days free calls the customer must top-up again to continue the free calls otherwise the customer will be charged at the standard tariff. International calls are billed per minute. This promotion is only available to Lycamobile UK customers and is not applicable to roaming calls. contests, concerts and other lawyer Damaso Bangaoet Jr. Street dancing, featuring events are held. envisioned it in 1995 when he some of the Cordillera’s traA million visitors have been proposed the idea of holding ditional dances, and a parade going to these events, says Banthe Panagbenga to the board of flower-adorned floats have gaoet, citing the Department of of directors of John Hay Poro since been the biggest crowd
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