BAGUIO CITY – A street dancing and drum and lyre competition kicked off the 29th Panagbenga Festival or Baguio Flower Festival here on Saturday, Feb. 1, with the theme Blossoms Beyond Boundaries.
YOUNG native dancers perform during the opening day parade of the month-long 29th Panagbenga Festival with the theme Blossoms Beyond Boundaries in Baguio City on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (Zaldy Comanda)
The event began with interfaith opening prayers by various religious groups and Cordilleran prayer (Uggayam) by Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) chairman for life and former Mayor Mauricio Domogan at the Panagbenga Park.
Five elementary street dancing and drum-and-lyre contingents competed – Apolinario Mabini Elementary School, Manuel Roxas Elementary School, Lucban Elementary School, Tuba Elementary School, and Rosario Integrated Elementary School from Rosario, La Union.
The Pugo Central Elementary School from Pugo town, La Union province was the guest performer.
Thirteen cultural dance groups from the Cordillera participated in the grand opening parade.
Evangeline Payno, chief of staff of the Panagbenga Executive Committee, said 30 percent of the participating contingent’s scores will be from their performances in the grand opening parade and drum-and-lyre competition while 70 percent will come from their performances in the grand street dancing parade on Feb. 22.
The grand float parade will be held the following day.
Contingents will hone their performance for the competition on Feb. 15 at the Melvin Jones football ground.
The Panagbenga landscaping competition and Baguio Blooms market encounter followed after the parade.