National Arts festival highlighted: Baguio City Panagbenga schedule for tourists bared

Baguio Flower Festival co-chair Anthony De Leon announces events for the month-long celebration of the 16th Panagbenga starting Feb 1. Extreme left is Tourism regional director Pura Molintas, a visitor, Mayor Mauricio Domogan and city police director Senior Supt. David Lacdan -- Redgie Melvic Cawis

By Dexter A. See and Grace Bandoy

BAGUIO CITY-- Amid initial setbacks on the preparations, it’s now all systems go for the 16th staging of the month-long Panagbenga, popularly known as the Baguio Flower Festival with lots of surprises for millions of visitors expected to flock to this mountain resort city.

This year’s theme: “The Environment and the Community in Harmony” will focus on activities that will promote preservation and protection of the city’s environment.

This, as the 2Oth Philippine Arts Festival, a national event, will coincide with the city’s celebration of the Panagbenga, thus the integration of numerous arts and cultural-related events will be highlighted during the event.

Dubbed the 2100 Ipitik Festival, it is an event of cultural re-vitalization that celebrates ritual and old ways.

Meanwhile, Panagbenga events include the first ever Pinikpikan Cook-Off, the 108 Gongs Performance by elementary and high school students from the city, installation of the Axis Art Project by renowned Baguio artist Kawayan De Guia, the Cinemarehiyon Festival by the National Commission on Culture and Arts featuring films shot in Baguio and the Asia-Africa Film Festival.

The grand opening parade where thousands of elementary and secondary students from private and public schools around the city and nearby places will thrill the public with their street-dancing prowess as it will kick off the festivities on February 1.

At the same time, the market encounter which will showcase various floral arrangements and landscaping will also open on Feb. 1 and will end on March 6.

The much-awaited grand street dancing parade where finalists in the street-dancing competition will showcase their choreographed dances along the city’s streets will be held on the morning of Feb. 25 while the float parade and marching band competition will be conducted on Feb. 26.

The fluvial parade that will showcase boats decorated with flowers will be done at the Burnham Lake on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, which will precede the awarding of the cleanest and dirtiest barangays by the Alay sa Kalinisan, the city’s partner in its clean and green efforts.

Session Road, the city’s main thoroughfare, will be closed from Feb. 27 to March 6 to pave the way for its conversion into a promenade area with the establishment of sidewalk cafès to cater to the needs of the thousands of people who will try to enjoy walking up and down the road.

Meanwhile, the The Ipitik will also conduct the 2011 search for the Tapuy master brewer, the best rice-wine maker in the region.

Also an on-the-spot woodcarving competition will be held.

The said festival will run from Feb. 20 until the end of the month at the Baguio Rose Garden in Burnham Park.

People of the Cordillera are cordially invited to join the competitions.

Interested participants may obtain application forms and contact mechanics from the Ipitik secretariat at VOCAS (Victor Oteyza Community Art Space), La Azotea Building, Session Road, Baguio City.

Deadline of submission of application forms for the contests is Feb. 4 to the Ipitik Secretariat.

The said festival is expected to add more color to the Panagbenga festival as tourists seem to only come here for the floral and street parades and this 2011 is sure to offer more interesting events for them to watch and participate in.

The 2011 Ipitik is spearheaded by festival director Ferdinand Balanag, the office of Rep. Bernardo Vergara and the office of Mayor Mauricio Domogan.