A Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! The Philippines has a lot of festivals that will leave you mesmerized right at the edge of your seats. These events boost a destination's local economy and attracts millions of tourists each year. But did you know that I, myself, got to experience one back in 2023?
A cool breeze in a mountainous region some hundred kilometers north of the capital Manila sets the stage for a famous festival: the Panagbenga Festival. It is held annually in February in Baguio, a famous mountaintop city in the Cordilleras popularly known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines".
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| The contingent of Lucban Elementary School showcases their creativity during the 2023 Panagbenga Festival Grand Street Parade on February 25, 2023. |
This blog focuses on my experience during its main highlights: the grand parades held in the fourth weekend of February. A separate blog about Baguio, which is distinct from this blog which focuses solely on the festival itself, will be published soon.
Since scheduling conflicts prevented me from visiting Baguio this 2025, I'll take you back in time to two years ago. During my school's trimestral break in February 2023, I seized the opportunity to watch the festival in person. Because we would usually visit local destinations outside the dates of their festivals, this was my first (and only) festival I got to experience in person, and I was truly mesmerized with it.
A quick background of the festival
The roots of this dazzling festival dates back to the 1990s. Baguio was recovering from the devastating effects of a strong earthquake on July 16, 1990. In 1995, lawyer (and the late) Damaso E. Bangaoet, Jr. conceptualized a flower festival to the board of directors of John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation. He was once the managing director of Camp John Hay when he proposed this idea. The first edition in February 1996 was named the "Baguio Flower Festival"; the "Panagbenga" name would be inducted beginning in 1997 after archivist and curator Ike Picpican suggested the Kankanaey term be officially inducted as the official festival name.
"Panagbenga" is a Kankanaey word that means, "a season of blossom".
The 2023 festival marked the return of the usual parades, as editions from 2020 to 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, festivities resumed without the usual parades.
Grand Street Parade
One of the main highlights of the Panagbenga Festival is the annual Grand Street Parade. Usually held on the fourth Saturday of February, tourists and visitors gather around Session Road and its associated roads to watch the colorful and dazzling performances of contingents, which usually comprise of students and youth groups, accompanied by drum and lyre performers.
In 2023, the parade started before 08:00 and featured contingents competing in three categories: drum and lyre, cultural dance, and the festival (open) category. The drum and lyre contingents usually comprise elementary students, while the dance categories, I believe, comprised of high school and college students. It lasted for around three to four hours as they made their way to the Melvin Jones Grandstand in Burnham Park.
Take a look at some images I captured:
Bonus: SM City Baguio with Panagbenga and flower-themed decorations!
Grand Float Parade
The Grand Float Parade is held the day immediately after the Grand Street Parade, usually held on the fourth Sunday of February. It features creative floats made by various companies and contingents.
The 2023 edition started with a procession of marching bands and military cadets, Boy Scouts with banners of festival sponsor Davies Paint, followed by the Baguio city government's float, and the marching band of Saint Louis University — which, by the way, is my mom's alma mater.
The parade temporarily stopped to give way for a jaw-dropping and acrobatic Aladdin-themed performance from Baguio Country Club. As the parade progressed, we saw the creativity of contingents through their wonderful and dazzling floats. The route of this parade is the same as the previous day's street parade: Session Road and its associated roads. Additionally, some contingents from the previous day's street parade (the winners, I think) also participate in this procession.
Take a look at some images I captured:
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| Actor-Senator Lito Lapid on a government-sponsored float! |
The parade ended passing by our area a little past ten o'clock.
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| Session Road closes for Session in Bloom on Sunday, February 26, 2023. |
Session Road then closes for a week (until the closing festivities on the first Sunday in March) as part of another festival activity, Session in Bloom, where various stalls are set up along the road. However, the road itself is closed every Sundays as part of pedestrianization efforts by the city government.
I then chatted with some police officers that secured the parade route before going back to my hotel. We discussed several things, including the tourism rebound in Baguio, their experience during the festival, among others. I completed this within five minutes, as they needed to have their lunch before reporting back for duty.
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| Burnham Park after the Grand Float Parade. |
The floats are then left on display at the Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Field at Burnham Park.
My take on Baguio's Panagbenga Festival
Well, I have not explored much of the festivals in the Philippines yet because I don't usually travel to a destination during its festival season, as it conflicts with my classes. But the academic break of my school at the time gave me an opportunity to attend one of the (if not) most colorful festivals EVER!
Watch my YouTube video short here:
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