Flower float parade launched in Candon City’s Festival

By Freddie G. Lazaro

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — The launching of the first flower float parade in the city fiesta highlighted ongoing 13th Tobacco Festival with thousands lining up the streets to watch in awe.

Twelve flower-decorated floats snaked through the city’s main streets and last Saturday for a two-hour parade that impressed many local and foreign tourists.

Ilocos Sur 2nd District Representative Eric D. Singson, Candon City’s local officials led by Mayor Ericson Singson, and the officials from Department of Tourism (DOT) witnessed the successful floral parade with pride.

Rep. Singson said participating floats were made up of flowers grown in Candon City and its nearby towns in this province.

“Among the local flowers prevalently used in the floats are bougainvilla, santan, roses and several other ornamental plants; and flowers of tobacco and corn crops,” Mayor Singson said.

The floats represented the 12 clustered barangays of the city and were designed through sponsorships by a shopping mall chain, a banker’s association, a realty firm, home appliances dealer, schools, restaurants, government agencies, farmers’ cooperatives, and the FNDCC construction firm.

The making of the flower float was guided by this year’s tobacco festival themes: “Kappia ken Panagkaykaysa: Tulbek Dur-as ken Rangpaya (Peace and Unity: Key for Development and Progress).