No SM protest during Panagbenga parade

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

PANAGBENGA festival organizers warned Grand Street Dancing parade participants to coordinate and follow rules set by the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) to ensure peaceful celebrations this year.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Panagbenga Festival overall chairman, said the BFFFI welcomes every contingent which will be participating in the February 25 and 26 parades including a group calling for the a giant mall chain to stop the earth-balling of 182 pine and alnus trees to make way for its expansion project.

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But the mayor said the festival is not a venue for personal interests, adding placards against the mall chain will not be allowed.

“We are not singling out any group here, but they must remember that they should coordinate with organizers to ensure the peaceful conduct of the festival,” he said.

The mayor said he instructed Baguio City Police Office Director David Lacdan to file appropriate charges against any group or person found violating the rules set by organizers.

“We hope they would not take advantage of the crowds as participating contingents should cooperate with organizers as they should be given slots in the order of the parade,” he added.

The mayor also warned groups planning to throw things at the SM float to prepare for charges.

Panagbenga Executive Committee chairman Anthony De Leon said the parade is not a avenue for different advocacies nor to stage any political rallies.

“Such actions do not speak well of Baguio people as a whole. Throwing things at the SM float is immature, childish and unprofessional,” De Leon said.

He said the Panagbenga festival has improved through the years with an expected one million visitors flocking the month-long festivities with the Grand Street and Float parades and the weeklong Session Road in bloom as fitting highlights.

The festival is also believed to infuse more than a billion peso in revenues to different businesses in the city.

He expects crowds in the street dancing parade to double or triple on the Grand Float parade with television personalities expected to be riding flower floats of three major television networks, ABS-CBN, GMA and TV5.

As of Monday, some 26 floats have already signed up to participate in the Grand Float Parade with flower-bedecked floats depicting various themes and characters.

Street dancing participants will include winners of the opening day street dancing and drum and lyre competition from different elementary schools, while contingents from high schools, colleges and other provinces will join the Open Category competitions on the February 25.

Much has improved in the street dancing parade as organizers have enjoined the Baguio Cultural Society, headed by Laurel Bangaoet and University of the Cordilleras vice president Alec Mapalo, to ensure a smooth flow of street dances.

The mayor said the Baguio Cultural Society has choreographed forward dancing steps to avoid long gaps for every parade, maintaining this year’s parade will still have moving performances on the streets as well as in the final staging area at the Baguio Athletic Bowl.