Chill complements flower fest in Baguio

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – The chill in this summer capital is getting colder by the day, but still, tourists are coming in.

The cold is bringing brisk business to this city, particularly to underground retail “wagwag” (ukay-ukay) business of winter clothes and apparel even as preparations are being set in time for the 19^th staging of Panagbenga or Flower Festival.

Hotel cash registers are ringing and even drugstore attendants are telling customers they have run out of lip gloss, an antidote against chapped lips. Jueteng bets are up and even the friendly neighborhood drug pushers are very busy. Nightspots are full, but then customers are not clapping that much after every song due to the cold and would rather huddle in a corner.  

The highland chill may have brought more business to this summer capital but it has its downside. According to the Environmental Management Bureau–Cordillera, the cold could worsen air quality.

EMB-CAR planning division OIC-chief Wilhelmina Lagunilla said the city’s cold weather could cause pollutants to stay in the air than during the warmer or normal weather.

On Jan. 19, Baguio’s temperature dipped to a low of 8.1 degrees, the lowest this year. On Jan. 18, 1961, Baguio temperature reached a record low of 6.3 degrees.

PAGASA-Baguio weather specialist Danny Galati said Tuesday’s temperature rose to  10.5 degrees Celsius compared to Monday's 8.4 degrees Celsius.

Lagunilla, an engineer however said recent studies and air quality monitoring by the agency showed air pollution is being experienced more during cold weather. 

Pollutants such as vehicle emission and other sources, she said, are suspended in the air longer due to the colder weather that may create more pollution in the city and areas affected by the cold.

She said colder weather will make the total particulate matter from the source of pollutants dissipate in the air slower than the usual and these particulates could be inhaled by residents.

The traffic congestion at Baguio’s central business district is seen as one of sources of pollutants particularly during the weekends when the traffic number coding is lifted and all sorts of vehicles ply the city’s main thoroughfares.

More than a decade ago, Baguio along  with five other major cities in the country, were found by the World Bank as most polluted locations. 

Lagunilla commended the project of the city to maintain plants and other vegetation as it  is a good intervention in lessening air pollution in the central business district since the plants can absorb some pollutants such as carbon monoxide from the vehicle emissions.

PAGASA-Baguio has said that highland chill, though warming a little bit the coming summer months, might go on until May because of the tail-end of the cold front.

Baguio experienced warmer temperatures Tuesday morning at 12.5 degrees Celcius from 8.4 degrees on Monday.

But PAGASA said the cold front would continue until the end of February since the northeast monsoon or Amihan blowing from China starts mid-October and ends in March, while peaking from January to February.

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This as Mayor Mauricio Domogan Wednesday reminded private and public personalities involved in preparations for the Baguio Flower Festival not to allow feuds and disagreements to mar staging of the most important tourism event of the city.

He said Panagbenga remains to be a city activity sponsored by both the city government and the private sector through the Baguio Flower Festival Inc. (BFFI) and its success through the years was brought on by the teamwork between the two sectors which if not sustained, may spell disaster for the festival.

The mayor said he will intervene to resolve disagreements have been brewing between the BFFI executive committee led by chair Anthony De Leon and vice chair Frederico Alquiros and some members of the city council to ensure that the activities will go on smoothly. 

“It is not surprising that some misunderstandings happen at this stage because of miscommunication but it is just a matter of addressing some concerns to make our teamwork better.  I will talk to the BFFI and the city council to settle this,” he said.

He said he will not allow misunderstandings and disagreements to go out of hand and affect the festival recalling the 2005 edition when two versions were staged because of the conflict between the two sectors.

 “We will by all means not allow that to happen again.  It was embarrassing; the result was not good for our city,” the mayor said.

The mayor acknowledged the present disagreement was caused by questions on finances of the festival.  

 Councilor Elmer Datuin who chairs the city council committee on tourism earlier sought the submission of the financial statement detailing the income and expenses of the Panagbenga 2012 but this apparently did not sit well with the BFFI.

The mayor said as a practice, BFFI submits an audit report of the Panagbenga funds including the P4 million from the city government and those solicited from private sponsors, donors and earnings from the activities to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  He said the net proceeds are deposited to the BFFI account for the event’s next staging.

The mayor said the city government will continue to support the event and the P4 million annual financial assistance  being given by the city will be sustained, whether the BFFI will ask for it or not.

To clear matters, all the BFFI may have to do is publish in newspapers an accounting of its finances. After all Panagbenga is made possible very year due to the help of private and public sectors like the kids who sing and dance for the main event rain or shine with families sacrificing for their outfits, some at the expense of a meal or two.