Baguio braces for influx of tourists for Panagbenga

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The summer capital is bracing for a packed weekend of parades featuring this year’s grand street dancing and float parades of the annual Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival), as well as events led by the Baguio Country Club (BCC), which turned 120 years old on Tuesday.

All hotels in the city have been booked and traffic managers have prepared alternate routes in anticipation of massive crowds expected to gather starting on Friday, when the BCC takes center stage through a separate parade.

However, authorities are also paying special attention to scammers who have been preying on tourists attending Panagbenga, the annual flower festival named after the Kankanaey term for “season of blooming.”

READ: Political ban reinstated in Baguio’s Panagbenga festival

The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) has already received a complaint from a Metro Manila-based trader who was misled into securing a slot for a booth for the weeklong street bazaar called Session Road in Bloom, which starts after the Grand Float Parade on Sunday, said Anthony de Leon, a BFFFI official, during a briefing on Wednesday.

De Leon, BFFFI executive committee chair and BCC general manager, said the victim paid P100,000 to a supposed BFFFI trustee and only discovered the scam when the arrangement was disowned by the BFFFI committee operating the bazaar.

Previous festival guests had also complained about fake room and bed-and-breakfast accommodations, particularly last-minute travelers planning to watch the parades, the monthlong festival’s highlights.

Falling for these scams is preventable if visitors cross-check offers with a list of over 300 accredited hotels, inns and transient homes posted on various government websites and social media accounts of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Baguio government, said Jovita Ganongan, DOT Cordillera director.

The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) on Tuesday launched an app called “BCPOviewBaguio” to help guide visitors in finding safe accommodations and understanding city regulations, said Police Col. Ruel Tagel, the city police director.

Road conditions

The BCPO has also taken an inventory of road conditions, particularly in heavily accessed routes, during the last days of the festival to reduce accidents and guide motorists away from damaged or closed streets.

This was done in coordination with the Baguio City engineering office and the Baguio district Engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said Police Maj. James Allen Dogao, chief of the BCPO’s Traffic Enforcement Unit.

De Leon did not say how many tourists Baguio is expecting this weekend.

However, the number of parade participants has also increased, contributing to the crowd volume from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23, said Evangeline Payno, the festival’s chief of staff.

For instance, the number of participating floats on Sunday has increased to 42 this year, up from 33 in 2024, she said.

Many of these floats will feature celebrities promoting brand products or starring in popular television soap operas and action series, Payno added. “The float participants didn’t want us to reveal who they are bringing along because it’s a surprise for the audience,” she said.

Guest participants

The street dancing parade on Saturday will include guest performers from other towns and provinces, like those coming from the City of Dasmariñas in Cavite, Payno said.

Beauty queens will join the BCC parade on Friday, said Andrew Pinero, the country club’s spokesperson.

Founded in 1905 by former American Governor General William Cameron Forbes, the club is now billed as the country’s only five-star mountain resort. For over 20 years, the club’s workforce has volunteered as manpower for Panagbenga.

De Leon also said volunteers had been tasked with removing political posters and streamers near and along the parade route due to a standing prohibition against campaigning during the festival.

This year’s event marks the 29th staging of Panagbenga, although 2025 is technically the festival’s 30th founding anniversary, according to former Mayor Mauricio Domogan, BFFFI chair emeritus.

(2025/02/20-05:04)