Baguio Panagbenga Festival 2014 Full And Complete Schedule Of Events

This year's edition of the Panagbenga Festival is just a couple of days away. It will kick off on February 1 through an opening ceremony to be held at the Panagbenga Park. After that the Grand Opening Parade will be held featuring the Drum and Lyre Dance Competition.

Here's a simple tip to out-of-towners planning on participating in the festival. At this time of the year, it will be rather difficult finding a place to stay so start booking reservations this early. Or better yet, if you know someone who resides within Baguio or in the nearby towns, you can crash in their couches for a day or two.

Here below is the full schedule of events:

Mayor Mauricio Domogan Suspends Classes In The Tertiary Level In Baguio

The office of Baguio City mayor Mauricio Domogan has issued Administrative Order No. 012, Series of 2014. The order suspends classes in the tertiary level in Baguio City on February 1 and February 22. The mayor cited that the order was issued "to ensure maximum participation of the public in the scheduled parades".

February 1 is the day the Panagbenga Festival will be kicked off. Events on this day include the opening ritual at the Panagbenga Park, the drum and lyre competition at the Athletic Bowl, and the opening of Baguio Blooms which is a landscaping competition. The entries in this competition can be viewed along Lake Drive in Burnham Park. This is a change in venue as previous stagings of the contest were held beside the Skating Rink.

February 22, on the other hand, is the day for the Street Dancing Parade which is considered to be one of the highlights of the festival.

So if you are a student in any of the universities and colleges within the city, start marking your calendars. There should be no classes on these days.

Photo by The Igorot Journal

The theme for this year's edition of the Panagbenga Flower Festival is "Inspiring the Community for a Greener Tomorrow". It's a month-long celebration which attracts tourists from all corners of the country. The closing ceremonies will be held on March 2 and will be capped with a Grand Fireworks Display.