BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan announced the winners of the flower float parade over the weekend as he lauded both the winners and participants who made the 24th staging of the Baguio Flower Festival a success.
In the big float category, M. Lhuillier Financial Services Inc. was declared best float with their theme “The Garden of Opportunity” illustrating flora of progress, growth and change. Their float featured a flower-laden unicorn at the front and was covered by large whimsical flowers.
Sitel Philippines Corporation placed second with their “Sitelbot” atop the flower-bedecked float, described to be the company’s symbol of commitment to innovation in the digital age.
The Generika float, a garden-inspired creation with butterflies, giant flowers, a wishing well and flower-inspired flamingos set among three native kiosks, placed third.
The festival celebrates a season of blooming and Baguio’s rise from the 1990 earthquake as well as its membership to the Unesco Creative Cities Network.
Events aim to promote culture, arts, environmental protection, sustainable development, tourism and a sense of community and harmony.
In the small float category, the Taloy Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative bested other contingents with their winning piece made of vegetables, herbs and flowers which the cooperative members plant, grow and harvest.
The float carried the theme, “Moving Forward Together in the Next 20 Years,” and depicted how the members of the cooperative work together to achieve growth for the past two decades.
In second place was the Igorot Treasure float, made of flowers, vegetables and recycled materials, to promote Cordilleran culture and talents as well as the region’s indigenous knowledge and practices.
Winning third place was the Lubao International Balloon & Music Festival float which promotes the biggest annual hot air balloon festival in Southeast Asia.
The float depicts the hard work and resiliency of the people of Lubao, Pampanga in the hope of a better life with colorful hot air balloons flanking the float in promotion of their own festival on April 5 to 7, 2019 at Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco, Lubao, and Pampanga.
The hot air balloon festival is on its fifth year and is organized by the Lubao International Balloon Festival, Inc. (LIBF) together with Forthinker Inc. in cooperation with the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Pampanga (Acto) and with support from the Provincial Government of Pampanga.
Winners in the big float category received P500,000; P300,000; and P200,000 cash, respectively, while the winners in the small float category received P300,000; P150,000 and P100,000 cash.
There were 24 competing float entries that were judged for creative design, artistic merit, floral and color presentation and dramatic impact.
Official entries in the big float category included ABS-CBN, Camella Homes, GMA Network, International pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Jollibee Foods Corporation, Kiwanis International, MC Master Siomai Hut Incorporated, RJ 7 Entertainment, Valley Bread and Yippi / TCA Philippines.
In the small float category, contingents included Coca Cola Beverages Philippines incorporated, Enchanted Kingdom Incorporated, Mega Global Corporation, MV Alabanza Longganisa, Palawan Pawnshop and Palawan Express Pera Padala, Paymaya Philippines Incorporated, Pizza Hut, Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures (Baguio branch).