2 versions of 11th Panagbenga

The split came after Mayor Braulio Yaranon issued Administrative Order 212 on Oct. 21, 2005, retaining the services of the Baguio Flower Festival Association (BFFA), led by businesswoman Nelia Cid, which handled last year's flower fest.

Yaranon's order was issued two days before 10 City Council members voted to return the management of the 11th Panagbenga to the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) through Resolution 294-2005, "to avoid insinuation of anomalies with regard the 2005 handling of the festival." The BFFFI is headed by lawyer Damaso Bangaoet Jr., the acknowledged founder of Panagbenga, who was reportedly eased out of the 2005 flower festival.

The BFFFI also has the backing of Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan, who was then the Baguio mayor when Panagbenga was conceptualized in 1995 and initiated by the Bases Conversion Development Authority and the then John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation (see Panagbenga history).

Yaranon, meanwhile, vetoed the Council resolution, saying his AO has more weight than that of a mere resolution. But he issued AO 285, this time creating an ad hoc committee that would handle Panagbenga in lieu of the BFFFA. The ad hoc is co-chaired by Baguio-Benguet Vicariate Carlito Cenzon and Cid.

But the Council junked AO 285 and stood pat on its earlier decision to let the BFFFI handle the festivities. The Council also overrode Yaranon's veto of Resolution 294, saying the BFFFI already accepted the management of Panagbenga.

A barrage of appeals from the business, tourism, the academe and other sectors to merge the BFFFI and BFFA so that only one Panagbenga would be conducted fell on deaf ears as both groups maintained they both have the legal mandate to handle the flower festival.

Both groups already conducted separate Panagbenga openings - the BFFA/ad hoc last Jan. 30 and the BFFFI last Feb. 1. Recently, both also agreed that Feb. 25 would be for the BFFA/ad hoc's street dancing and float parade/drum & lyre activities and Feb. 26 for the BFFFI's own street dancing and float parade/drum & lyre. In the last 10 years of Panagbenga, street dancing was scheduled Feb. 25 and float parade/drum & lyre on Feb. 26. (CGC)