Panagbenga festival inspires other festivals

March 10, 2018 Community Billboard

BAGUIO CITY – Thousands of tourists flocked the city of pines and witnessed the 23rd Panagbenga celebration but a number of them came to get an idea on what to do with their own festival.
Panagbenga brings in hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city. Among them was Yuma, a 20 year old Japanese student who was invited by her foster family from Tarlac to visit the city of Pines.
Yuma said this is her first time to attend the festival and nothing compares with her experience.
“In japan we also have cherry blossoms, but it only stays in the tree, unlike here in Baguio that it will be paraded,” she said.
She added that now that she was able to witness Panagbenga she will always come back and bring more friends.
Aside from Yuma, Lorenzo Salazar who came all the way from Isabela, said that it’s not the big artists that draws them here, it’s actually the idea of seeing something new and getting an idea which they can adapt.
He also said they are able to get ideas from the festival, which like Baguio, had helped boost the city’s economy through tourism with the hundreds of thousands of people coming over to be part of the festivities.
Aside from the cool weather, the tourists spots and the culture that the Panagbenga shows, tourists still enjoyed watching their favorite actor and actresses and the beautiful flowers of the city which are paraded in different shapes, themes and concepts of floats – all made of fresh flowers.
Salazar also said that despite the thousands of tourist arrival aside from the city residents all on the streets for the festival’s grand parades, it is awesome how the police and the city government are able to manage the peace, order and security of everybody, “It’s just amazing how Baguio does it and we hope to also learn from Baguio,” he said. PAMELA MARIZ GEMINIANO / ABN