Baguio City is well-known as the Philippines' summer capital. Besides its relatively close temperatures and famed Burnham Park, it also hosts one of the country's most colorful events, the Panagbenga Festival, popularly known as Baguio's flower festival in the Philippines to many. The Festival is celebrated every February. The event normally lasts a month and attracts thousands of tourists. It includes stunning parades, thrilling competitions, delectable cuisine, live music, and vivid costumes.
Panagbenga is a sensory overload that draws thousands of tourists each year, offering everything from street dances to flower-filled floats. But why is the panagbenga Festival celebrated? Let us delve into the origins and features of this one-of-a-kind and spectacular Festival before we begin the festivities!
The History of Panagbenga Festival
The history of the panagbenga Festival originated back in Baguio City. It all began with the concept that Baguio City, like all other municipalities and cities in the Philippines, should be given its own "festivals." However, this concept blooms into a fusion of cultures, representing the most colorful flower festival in the Philippines. This Festival is located in Baguio City, also known as the summer capital of the Philippines, in the province of Benguet in the Cordillera Region. The Festival commemorates the blossoming of the city's flowers, which typically occurs in February.
Furthermore, the name "panagbenga" is derived from the Kankanaey phrase "panag-apog," which means "blooming season." Another reason why Panagbenga Festival is celebrated is that it also includes art, music, dance, pageant, food, and other activities. It draws thousands of residents as well as tourists from all over the world. This one-of-a-kind Festival has also come to represent optimism and happiness for the residents of Baguio. This Festival is also one of the things that people of Baguio especially celebrate as it is one way to help promote and attract tourists and travelers.
The history of panagbenga Festival started its colorful cultural celebration way back in 1990. This event honors the elegance of flowers, particularly those found throughout the Baguio region. It also attempts to re-energize the soul of Baguio, which was severely damaged by the massive earthquake that struck Baguio and areas near Luzon that same year.
Fun Facts About Panagbenga Festival
Here are the five facts about Baguio's Panagbenga Festival that we all should know!
“It’s /Pa-nag-BUH-nga/ not /Pa-nag-BENG-ga/.
If you're a local and a resident of Baguio, you should be able to pronounce it. It is the most common misconception regarding this Festival. Of all, as a responsible traveler/tourist, you must also be able to pronounce words correctly and with the appropriate accent, right? The pronunciation is different since it is of kankana-ey origin. You'll also learn the appropriate method to say it, which you can then tell your other pals when they come to town for the Festival.
The Panagbenga means 'season of blossoming, time for flowering.'
This celebration was also known as the Baguio Flower Festival until it was suggested and renamed 'Panagbenga' in 1997 by archivist & Saint Louis University Museum Curator Mr. Ike Picpican. This celebration's fundamental objective is to honor the blossoming flowers and give Baguio its brilliant glow, making it one of the country's most popular summer attractions.
The Festival's Official Hymn is entitled "Tribute to the Cordillerans."
The late Dean Macario Fronda wrote the hymn to honor Cordillerans who worked hard to make the Cordilleras prosper in the face of struggle and change. It serves as the official theme music of the festivities to maintain its seriousness and let everyone know that we respect the Cordillerans who donate their effort and time to make this celebration a reality.
The Festival uses tons and tons of Flowers!
A massive amount of flowers will be used, mostly in the Grand Street and Floral Float Parades. Several of the florals are also utilized in month-long competitions, such as landscaping and Barangay Beautification. During the parades, which are also quality in general of the Festival, many contingents demonstrate their artistry in music, dancing, and cultural performance. It is also where you can observe the participants' ingenuity in making works of art simply by using various types of flowers as well as other plants.
The Festival is a Month long Celebration.
As just a month-long festival, the Panagbenga Fest can display the city's natural beauty and the artistry of its people. On February 1, there will be a spectacular opening parade. The parade also includes an elementary school street dancing competition as well as a drum and lyre competition; all roads lead to Baguio City. Burnham Park is indeed the site of the Tradeshow and Bazaar, which runs from the first Saturday in February to the initial Sunday in March, representing the official completion of the Panagbenga Festival for the year. On the final weekend of February, Baguio City comes to life with a huge parade and street dance competition on Saturday, followed by the famed float and parading band contests on Sunday.
February is, without a doubt, one of the busiest seasons in Baguio City. And, with an almost never-ending increase in tourism, it won't be easy to secure a place in Baguio without advance reservation. Many condos in Baguio will help you make your stay perfect while witnessing a blossoming festival. Not to add that lodging in Baguio tends to rise if you plan days, weeks, or even months just before Panagbenga Festival.
This vivid and colorful event lasts one Month. It features endless brilliant and bright exhibits of the City of Pines' colorful flowers that are elegantly displayed to visitors all across the city. This makes Baguio City one of the best locations to invest; with its comfortable climate, beautiful places, and colorful festivals, condo in Baguio make a good investment as this place attracts many tourists and travelers every year. The spectacular floats are what distinguishes the Panagbenga Festival. The floats adorned in beautiful flowers create a one-of-a-kind parade unlike any other in the country. It is an understatement to say that flower pigments are brought to life during the Festival. Beautiful, bright, tribal, and joyful are the finest ways to describe the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio, so make yourself stay worthwhile with a condo in Baguio and enjoy this colorful blossoming celebration that pays tribute to its unique shade pigment of culture!
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