Baguio richer by P1.25 billion from Panagbenga

By Mike Guimbatan Jr.

BAGUIO CITY – This mountain resort city got richer by P1.25 billion from tourists in a weekend of fun fare celebrating this years Panagbenga or flower festival, organizers said.

A tourist monitoring team from the regional Department of Tourism office revealed that over 1.5 million people witnessed the Street dance on Feb. 23 and the float parade on Feb. 24. From this number, regional DOT Director Pura Molintas said they pegged their safe estimate at 500,000 moving in and out of the city last weekend.

Molintas said Baguio businessmen encountered a “happy problem” attending to tourists and some even ran out of goods. The DOT official estimated a cost parameter of P2,500 average expenditure level for every tourist arrival. Multiplying P2,500 to 500,000 individulas will give a whooping P1.25 billion spent during the two major Panagbenga activities.

Bus arrivals alone have increased a hundred times said the BOT official. The DOT documented 4,200 bus arrivals from February 22 to 25 mostly from Manila , Olongapo Cagayan, Isabela and the Ilocos region. “This does not include private vehicles from nearby towns”, She added.

Tourist money pours down in every establishment, said this year’s activity chairman Anthony de Leon. Tourist did not only come here for the street and float parade but to buy Baguio and Cordillera products. For example, de Leon mentioned tourist bringing home plants, bundles of flowers, handicrafts, food preserves, and even bonnets.

De Leon added the city government also earned directly and indirectly. He said the city earns over P2 million from direct taxes plus other indirect benefits from permits and licenses.

Organizers charge an average of P14,000 per booth for a one week display at Session road in bloom while the market encounter business takers pay an average of P18,000 for a month long display. However, not one of the business takers admit yet of a break even.

De Leon however clarified that the conduct of the Panagbenga was not a government sponsored nor was any government money used. He said that organizers operated mainly on solicitations, donations and existing fund of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation. He said the BFFF is transparent in its operational expenses.

While there are bigger booths, more variety of shows, and better organized activities, de Leon said kinks can not be avoided. He said there are people who misrepresented the organizers and accepted reservations payments of display booths issuing fake receipts. In two separate occasions, two booth takers paid P13,000 and P32,000 to unidentified individuals.

In another minor difficulty, the Panagbenga organizers were not able to withdraw their deposited funds at a DBP branch due to lack of signature cards.

Mayor Reinaldo Bautista said only minor and usual problems occurred such as water rationing and garbage collection and disposal but these were accordingly resolved by concerned offices.