It has always puzzled me how Baguio City keeps its surroundings clean during the annual Panagbenga Festival. It has become a tradition to visit the country’s summer capital to marvel at the colorful floral parade, but one lingering question remains—how is cleanliness maintained?
The disposal of flowers used in floats and decorations is also a major challenge, requiring efforts from both authorities and the public to keep the city tidy after the festivities.
Did you know that approximately 1,000 flowers of different varieties are used in a single float during the Panagbenga Festival? This year, a total of 43 floats participated in the parade—so you do the math.
But what really happens to the flowers adorning the floats after the parade?
“They are donated to churches,” Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. president Freddie Alquiros told Manila Standard Life.
“The flowers used in the grand float parade and other decorations are usually repurposed or discarded,” Alquiros added.
Some locals and event organizers redistribute fresh flowers to schools, churches, and public spaces, while others collect them for composting or proper disposal. Tourists and residents sometimes take home flowers as souvenirs. However, since many blooms start to wilt after the festivities, a significant portion ends up as waste, which the local government and cleanup crews manage efficiently to maintain the city’s cleanliness.
I have to commend the festival organizers and the local government for doing a great job. It’s the only festival in the country I have attended where, after the parade, the streets are swept within minutes—as if nothing happened on Session Road, the usual parade route. Spectators—tourists numbering at least 30,000—go about their usual day, and the trash? Nowhere to be found.
At the tail end of the parade, I observed street sweepers and garbage trucks following closely to ensure the roads and sidewalks remained spotless. Where else can you see this kind of dedication to cleanliness?
This year’s theme, “Blossom Beyond Boundaries,” aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing inclusivity, sustainability, and global connectivity.
This year’s edition of Panagbenga is particularly special for the people of Baguio and its organizers. First, this year’s festival featured the highest number of floats in its history, with participants parading from Session Road to Harrison Road, culminating at Melvin Jones Grandstand for public viewing. Last year, spectators saw 33 floats.
Next year’s edition of the Panagbenga Festival will be even more significant as it marks the event’s 30th anniversary.
Panagbenga, an annual flower festival held every February in Baguio City, derives its name from the Kankanaey term meaning “season of blooming.”
The festival celebrates the history, traditions, and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras and thrives through strong community participation.
The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. oversees the festival’s organization, aiming to promote tourism in Baguio and the Cordilleras through various cultural events, exhibitions, and activities while ensuring an environmentally sustainable approach.
For those who didn’t know, apart from showcasing cultural heritage and the thriving floral business in the city, Panagbenga is also a competition.
In the large float category, Jollibee Foods Corporation claimed the grand champion title, followed by McDonald’s in second place and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) in third.
In the medium float category, Mang Inasal took the top spot, with Zaparita’s Garden securing second place and Chowking finishing third. Meanwhile, Zaparita’s Garden also emerged as the grand champion in the small float category, while Wood Rock and Flowers Group placed second, and Wilcon Depot took third.
