Panagbenga ups Baguio economy

By Gaby B. Keith

BAGUIO CITY -- City administrator Bonifacio de la Peña lauded the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) for the successful return of the Panagbenga Festival in February.
    The Panagbenga, also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, was held without restrictions for the first time since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    The BFFFI is led by former Baguio City mayor Mauricio Domogan and Baguio Country Club manager Anthony de Leon.
    During Monday's flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, de la Peña said participation in the activities of the month-long event, especially in its street dancing and float parades, were "very successful." The Summer Capital is already preparing and looking forward to an even larger celebration next year.
    "This year's Panagbenga Festival started well and also ended very, very well," de la Peña stressed.
    He admitted that although the city's projection of 1.5 million visitors to this year's flower festival was not met, the annual extravaganza's return is "already a good start," since it has helped in hastening the recovery of hotels and other accommodation establishments that were among the most affected by the pandemic.
    As for the local economy as a whole, the city administrator said that Mayor Benjamin Magalong is expecting its full recovery in about five years spearheaded by tourism since it is one of Baguio's top industries.
    "Rest assured, however, that we in the city government are doing all we can in hopefully achieving the full recovery of our economy in less than five years," de la Peña said.