Mayor to DPWH: Finish roads for Panagbenga fest

By Joseph Zambrano

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Mauricio Domogan told Department of Public Works and Highways District Engineer Ireneo Galato to hasten road concreting of Juan Luna  and Lake Drives in Burnham Park in time for the 2014 Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga in February.

Said roads are now used as biking areas. Hoowever during Panagbenga, a portion is used for the Market Encounter.

The mayor also asked the bike concessionaires to cooperate instead of complaining because in the long run it will benefit them.

He said  road improvement in the  area is not only in keeping with providing better services for the general public, not only will  it serve the best interest of tourists  but also for local residents  who frequent the park with their families especially on weekends.

The project is  under the Department of Tourism-DPWH Convergence on Tourism Infrastructure Program.

Meanwhile, the local government is contributing P4 million for this year’s staging of the Panagbenga.

Domogan said the various committees of Panagbenga are ironing-out plans  to ensure a glitch-free conduct of this year’s festival. 

The Baguio City Police Office is currently implementing an experimental traffic re-routing scheme within the  Central Business District  to ease traffic.

Panagbenga is one of the festivals in the entire Philippines that is most visited by tourists where close to a million come to participate in the various  lined up events, said DOT-Cordillera Regional Director Purificacion Molintas.