Deniece Cornejo (2nd from the left) happily captures a moment alongside Assistant Secretary of the Department of Tourism Gissela Romualdez Quisumbing (3rd from the left), Congressman Mark Go (left), Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong (2nd from right), and his esteemed wife, First Lady Mrs. Arlene Magalong.

By Ismael Amigo

MANILA — Deniece Cornejo was among the special guests for this year’s Panagbenga Festival, adding a touch of celebrity and social and cultural entrepreneurship to the event.

The renowned personality, also an International Youth Ambassador and President of AWRA (Association of Women’s Rights Advocates), graced the celebration held last week of February in Baguio City, the country’s Summer Capital.

During the Grand Float Parade, Cornejo joined other distinguished guests and judges in delighting the throngs of revelers lining the streets.

Above all else, Ms. Cornejo was happy to grace this year’s Panagbenga Festival as she dearly traces her roots back to the Mountain province.

“My great-great-grandfather, Atty and Brigadier General Miguel Cornejo, used to be a congressman from 1921-1925 of Mountain Province then under the leadership of Governor-General Leonard Wood.

Wood happens to be the first President of the Baguio Country Club,” enthused Cornejo while adding that the festival is an integral part of tradition for highlanders and tourists alike as “it provides a facet for the locals to come together to celebrate their culture, heritage, and the region’s natural beauty.”

“I am inspired and see the potential of further boosting agriculture here in Mountain Province while highlighting our Bayanihan spirit through festivals like this (Panagbenga),” Cornejo said.

“It’s our opportunity to show the world our unique roots and take pride in it especially sharing our creativity at this special festival.”

“Here, we can showcase and use our talents, wisdom, and beauty to restore and reintroduce our nation’s tradition and culture,” she said.

“We also have to understand that regardless of your disposition in life, whether you are a public servant or an ordinary citizen or businessman, we have the moral responsibility to boost our economy and tourism.”

“I can assure you that it is the best act of love. Panagbenga, for me, is the season to celebrate Life and love Cornejo enthused.

Vibrant Culture

To many, the Panagbenga Festival also showcases the city’s vibrant culture and resilience, stemming from the aftermath of the devastating 1990 Luzon earthquake.

The festival drew thousands of spectators and featured captivating street dancing parades and the iconic Flower Float parade. This year’s theme, “Celebrating Traditions, Embracing Innovations,” resonated throughout the festivities.

Indeed, the country’s Summer Capital was once again enveloped in a spectacle of color, creativity, and cultural pride during the Grand Float Parade of the Panagbenga held on the 25th of Feb 2024.

This year’s Panagbenga Festival, which offered around one million pesos in cash prizes, carried the theme “Celebrating Traditions, Embracing Innovations.”

In the friendly competition of street dance groups and “drum and lyre” performances, Manuel Quezon Elementary School secured third place, receiving a cash prize of P70,000; Tuba Central School from Tuba, Benguet, clinched second place with a prize of P100,000, while Lucban Elementary School emerged as the champion, taking home a cash prize of P150,000.

For the Festival Dance competition, Baguio City National High School-Special Program for the Arts secured third place with a prize of P100,000; Narvacan Naisangsangayan group from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, claimed second place with a prize of P150,000, and the champion was Tribu Rizal from Rizal, Kalinga, winning a prize of P200,000.

All in all, the cash prizes amounted to P770,000.

The energetic performances of the Bitulok Tribe and Tribu Palayano from Nueva Ecija, Bani Pakwan from Bani, Pangasinan, Tribu San Carlos from Pangasinan, Narvacan Naisangsangyan Festival Dance from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, and Tribu Rizal from Rizal, Kalinga, were warmly applauded and praised.

Various schools from Baguio City, neighboring Benguet, and dancers from Palayan City, Gabaldon in Nueva Ecija, Bani, and San Carlos in Pangasinan, Narvacan in Ilocos Sur, and Rizal in Kalinga participated in the parade, displaying their vibrant dances and colorful costumes along Session Road to Harrison Road in Baguio City’s Central Business District, accompanied by the upbeat tunes of the Panagbenga hymn.

The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) brass band also marched, adding to the festive atmosphere with their lively performances interspersed with casual dance tunes.

According to former Congressman and Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, the “for life” chairman of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI), the private organizer of the festival, the Panagbenga or Baguio Flower Festival, now in its 28th year, has been successful due to the support of the people of Baguio, the city government, and all stakeholders, whom he deeply thanked.

One lead staff organizer predicted early the tripling of revelers on the streets and expected various performances in the city during the Flower Float parade.

He mentioned that 33 flower-bedecked floats would roll along Session Road towards the Melvin Jones grandstand on Harrison Road on the final day of festivities were of record-breaking participation.

“It was a record-breaking number and certainly a blockbuster event,” boasted by Chairman of Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. and General Manager of Baguio Country Club Antonio R. De León.