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Monday, January 23, 2006
All is set for Panagbenga: mayor
BAGUIO City Mayor Braulio Yaranon said Sunday preparations are now in full swing for the Panagbenga celebration on January 30.
"Panagbenga is an activity of the Baguio community so it is open to everybody who wants to participate," Yaranon said as he discounted the possibility of non-participation of the association of hotels and restaurants and the different universities due to his failure to unify efforts to stage only one event.
Apart from the mayor's Baguio Panagbenga Flower Festival Association (BPFFA), another group--the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation (BFFF), which originally staged the event in its early years and is backed by Representative Mauricio Domogan and the City Council--has lined up its own Panagbenga activities.
"It is not correct to say that there are two Panagbenga because there is only one Panagbenga and that is the one that belongs to the community. Anything else is just part of my political opponents' design to obstruct our best efforts and intention. So we appeal to the people making this obstruction to stop their activities," Yaranon said.
He said even the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) acknowledged the superiority of his order over that of the City Council.
DILG Regional Director Everdina Doctor said the City Council resolution is merely an expression of opinion of the legislative body and does not have the force and effect of a law and therefore cannot be treated as superior to an executive order issued by a mayor.
Through a resolution, the City Council last year took back the responsibility of managing the Panagbenga event from the City Government and returned it to the foundation.
Yaranon vetoed the measure, but the same was overridden by the City Council, prompting the mayor to issue an administrative order designating the association to handle the event.
During the media briefing, event chairmen Nelia Cid and Carlito Cenzon assured that the support has continued to snowball for the event as more companies, entities and officials from neighboring provinces have pledged cooperation for the undertaking.
To date, contingents from various municipalities in Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Masbate and foreign countries like Korea, Japan and Africa have signified their intentions to participate in the activities lined up.
Several towns in La Union, Yaranon's home province, have committed showcasing "basi" a local wine, tiger grass products, and various agricultural products during the festival.
Yaranon also said other local government units in La Trinidad has given assurance of their support to the festival with strawberries and other local products being showcased.
The local governments of Urdaneta, Marinduque and Masbate have also committed to join the festival while others, such as the Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA), have also arranged for their piece in the festival.
Local businessmen, the Japanese and Korean communities in the city, and other foreign contingents will likewise join the flower parade and other activities, including staging their respective cultural exhibits.
Senator Pia Cayetano has also assured Yaranon of her support to Panagbenga 2006. A biking group with her at the forefront would join the festivities if schedules allow.
The senator, who patronizes Baguio, called on tourists to take advantage of Panagbenga 2006 to see the city "at its finest moments." (JF)
(January 23, 2006 issue)
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