Blended Revelry At Baguio Flower Fest 2021

December 11, 2020 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (December 11, 2020) – Panagbenga 2021 will still be enjoyed, though not anymore welcoming huge crowds, but blended rites.
The recently held Ibagiw Creative Arts festival serves as a benchmark for the future staging of similar crowd-drawing events in the city, like the month-long Panagbenga by February, already on its 26^th year, Baguio City Tourism Operations Officer Engr. Aloysius C. Mapalo said.
Admitting that while there is no available vaccine yet to contain Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019, there will be limitations in conducting crowd drawing events like mixing virtual and face-to-face gatherings while adhering to health and safety protocols.
Panagbenga, especially its twin highlights– Street Dancing and Flower Float parades – draws revelers into at least a million.
The Baguio City local government will closely coordinate with the private Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) to get their insights on how to conduct the 26th edition of the Panagbenga festival, the city’s major crowd-drawing event.
Last year’s twin parades were cancelled due to COVID threat.
Mapalo explained the planned blended conduct of the Panagbenga event is part of the efforts of the city government to gradually and safely bring back the vibrance of the local economy that immensely suffered due community quarantine measures over the past eight months.
Mapalo said the recent staging of the Ibagiw Creative Arts festival last November showed some feasible approaches on the staging of crowd-drawing events that will not generate too many individuals in a face-to-face setting but can reach people worldwide through live streaming.
Panagbenga is the only festival in the country that was included in the elite list of the International Festivals and Events Association being one of the well-organized crowd drawing events.
Artemio A. Dumlao