Panagbenga Festival, which translates to the Blooming Flowers Festival, is a yearly flower event that takes place in Baguio City, bringing together locals and tourists from all over the world.
The use of the word Panagbenga is reflective of the blend of cultural influences from Malaysia and other southeast Asian countries. The word translates to ‘the season of bloom’. The popular festival is scheduled for February and is held to celebrate the abundance of flowers in the city.
Panagbenga Festival, Session Road in Bloom – Baguio Flower Festival
Image courtesy of susancorpuz90
This has meaning for the locals, especially those who survived the Luzon quake back in 1990 since the festival was first orchestrated as a way for the locals to recover from the devastating event. For a whole month, Baguio City and its streets come alive with spectacular rhythmic dances, pulsating songs, and colorful floral arrangements that will interest any avid flower-lovers.
Related:Check out our Sunflower Captions and Flower Captions for Instagram
Since this is a month-long festival, there are a plethora of activities to enjoy and take part in, from the landscaping competition to the golf tournament. As is tradition with most Filipino festivals, a Grand Parade marks the beginning of Panagbenga Festival. The parade is normally held on February 1st and can begin as early as 8AM. Don’t be surprised if you’re woken up by the sounds of drums and cheers, especially if you’re staying somewhere near the main city streets.
Mind you, this is only the opening parade. A street dancing parade/competition is also a part of this festival, but that event is normally held on the last day of February, with a magnificent float parade being held on the 1st of March.
What stands out during the Panagbenga Festival is the splendid use of floats.
They are covered with beautiful flowers, creating a distinct parade, unlike others that are held in the country. To say that colors come alive during this long festival is, to put it mildly. And this is also true for the street dancers – they are all adorned in spectacular, colorful costumes, which make it extremely difficult to look away.
Image courtesy of Miguel Isidro Photography
If you are keen to interact with the locals, look out for the Ibaloi dance, a vigorous and colorful dance that is inspired by the local community from Luzon. The beauty of the festival is that, aside from the tourist benefits that it brings, the local community has a chance to embrace its cultural traditions.
Some of the key events at the Panagbenga Festival include the inaugural parade, the Bazaar, the street dance, and the parade contest as well as the float competition. But there are also plenty of other events that will keep you entertained all throughout February – the Panagbenga Cultural Show, Baguio Blooms Exposition, the Fireworks Display and the Panagbenga Cultural Dance Competition, among others.
Those of you that are really feeling themselves during this wonderful festival can apply to partake in the Flower Tee Golf Tournament. It is held at Baguio Country Club, and it’s a great way to put your golfing skills to test. Or you’re not that familiar with golf courses, why not participate in the Panagbenga Open Kite Flying Competition?
Image courtesy of susancorpuz90
It might seem a tad childish at first, but we assure you that it is incredibly fun for all ages. And children don’t actually have the necessary coordination and endurance to win a kite-flying competition, so they have their parents do all the dirty work. This makes this one of the best events for those of you that are attending the Panagbenga festival with your families!
Look out for the Session Road in Bloom at Session Road and the culmination of the festival with the closing ceremonies. This family-friendly event is a must-attend if you love all things floral.
How To Get To Baguio City
Getting to Baguio City is a bit tricky. There are no direct flights to the city from airports at Manila or Cebu City, which tend to be hubs where most tourists land. And since flying isn’t really an option, how do you get to enjoy the wonderful Panagbenga festival?
The good news is that Baguio City is only three and a half hours away from Manila. You can rent a car and go on a short road trip – you’ll be at Baguio City in no time, and you will have the option of exploring other parts of the island as well. You can also get on a bus, but that ride lasts about seven hours on average.
If you’re flying in at Cebu, you can get a flight to Clark International Airport in Mabalacat, and get to Baguio from there. It takes about three and a half hours on a bus, and some two and a half hours if you decide to drive yourself.
