Panagbenga Grand Street Dancing Parade slated Saturday

The Baguio Flower Festival – Panagbenga, continues to live up to its name and remains to be the most orderly and organized festival in the country with this year’s theme, “Inspired by Beauty, Nurtured by Nature”. (Photo: susancorpuz90/Flickr)

BAGUIO CITY—The nine finalists in the Grand Street Dancing Competition–Elementary Division as announced after the elimination round on February 20, will join the Grand Street Dancing Parade here on Saturday, February 25.

The parade, one of the awaited activities as part of the Panagbenga or Baguio Flower Festival, will include defending champion Apolinario Mabini Elementary School (ES); Baguio Central Elementary School; Camp 6 ES; Dominican ES; Doña Aurora ES; Emilio Aguinaldo ES; Jose P. Laurel ES; Josefa Cariño ES and Pinget ES.

The use of recyclable and biodegradable materials is encouraged in the competition.

The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) will extend PhP20,000 to all competitors, winners or not, on top of the prizes won.

BFFFI chief of staff Evangeline Payno said this is the first time in the history of the Panagbenga that this will be given.

The said amount will be paid in check, and can only be claimed by the competitor after a liquidation of expenses has been submitted to the City Accountant of the local government unit (LGU) of Baguio City, Payno added.

Awarding of prizes will be during the Closing Ceremony on March 5.

A total of 21 Street Dancing contingents will be featured to include the nine in the Elementary Division, eight High School Division participants and four in the open category.

Meanwhile, 25 companies signified their intention to participate in the Grand Floral Float Parade on February 26, Sunday.

Twenty two (22) companies remained after three backed-out of the competition for unknown reasons.

The Champions in the Grand Street Dance Competitions will also join the Grand Floral Float Parade.

Guest contingents from the “Dessicated Coconut Capital of the World”, Candelaria, Quezon will also be in the parade.

Reigning Miss International Kylie Verzosa, who hails from Baguio, will be the main star of the Pepsi Cola float.

Movie and television personalities Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, more popularly known as the “Aldub” tandem of GMA 7 as well as Zanjoe Marudo and Bea Alonzo of ABS-CBN, will also be riding their outfits’ respective floats.

The Baguio Flower Festival – Panagbenga, continues to live up to its name and remains to be the most orderly and organized festival in the country with this year’s theme, “Inspired by Beauty, Nurtured by Nature”.

“We encourage participants, not for them to win in the competition but for them to support the event by way of participation”, BFFFI Executive Committee Chair Anthony de Leon said.

“We support the city’s drive for a clean and green environment with huge tarpaulins to be displayed at conspicuous areas in the Central Business District (CBD) to remind smokers and the general public to dispose of their trash properly,” de Leon added.