BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. has said that this city is all set for the grand celebration of the 29th Panagbenga Festival with the grand street dancing parade and grand floral float parade from Feb. 22 to 23.
During the recent Kapihan Media Forum, Vans Payno, chief of staff of Panagbenga, said that five elementary drum and lyre contingents will return for the street dance competition. Seven teams will compete in the open category festival dance competition.
Also participating in the parade as guest performers are Citizen Brigade Band of Dasmarinas City, Cavite; Philippine Military Academy Band, Saint Louis Marching Band, and Baguio City Bureau of Fire Protection street dancers.
Payno noted that more floats are participating in the float parade.
“BFFFI is proud of the increase in participants in the float parade this year, which is 42 compared to last year’s 33. Note that in the small category, 12 are competing and one is non-competing. Nine in the medium category and 14 in the large category, all competitive,” Payno said.
She said that the Baguio City government float will lead the parade, along with non-competing floats from the Hall of Famer Baguio Country Club that has two and one each from the Department of Tourism Float, Paragon, and SM.
Baguio City Police Office chief Police Col. Ruel Tagel said measures are in place to ensure the security of spectators.
Tagel said 1,200 policemen will be deployed on the parade route along with force multipliers who will serve as crowd control.
“We have also deployed police in civilian clothes to keep an eye out for miscreants who may prey on the parade. There are also spotters assigned and police assigned at the city boundaries and there are police assistance desks and medical teams. The BCPO is ready to maintain security during the two major events of Panagbenga,” Tagel said.
Police Major James Dogao of the BCPO Traffic Management Unit said that traffic personnel and enforcers will also be deployed around the parade route to ensure smooth traffic flow.
“Like during the opening parade, we have implemented rerouting schemes using circumferential roads to avoid passing through the central district area, while the parade is underway. We once again call on residents and tourists who are watching the parade to not use vehicles to go to the area, but instead to find parking areas away from the CBD,” Dogao said.