Order, traffic measures for Panagbenga

By Carlito C. Dar

BAGUIO, CITY-- The Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Baguio City Police Office has set security and traffic measures for the month-long Panagbenga Festival which opened Friday.

City police will maximize personnel, including volunteers and augmentation forces from the Police Regional Office – Cordillera and police regional training center to handle peace and order and heavy traffic. “Every time we have this kind of celebration, the city is always ready to accommodate a large number of people,” Supt. James Allan Logan said.

For the three main events of Panagbenga: grand opening parade and drum and lyre competition, grand street dancing parade (Feb. 23) and grand float parade on Feb. 24, Logan said they designated the route of the parade and assessment in coordination with the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc.
For the parade, assembly area will be at the Panagbenga Park located at Nevada Square rotunda.

The parade shall proceed from the assembly place to the main roads of the city (Session Road, the “Y -U turn” of the Baguio Center Mall, Magsaysay Avenue, Harrison Road, Abad Santos Street) and will end at the athletic bowl, for the opening program and the drum and lyre competition – elementary level.

The same route shall be followed during the grand street dance parade on Feb. 23, while the grand float parade will follow the same route, except that it will no longer proceed to the “Y –U turn” of Magsaysay Avenue.

Meanwhile, Mayor Mauricio Domogan’s Administrative Order no. 8, series of 2013, suspended classes in elementary and high school levels, both public and private on Feb. 1, while for the Feb. 23 grand street dancing parade, classes in all school levels will be suspended. -- With reports from Aireen Chelsea Irving and Jan Robert Nicandro