The 18th Panagbenga Festival 2013 Photos and Parade

"You don’t need to be a master to paint a picture of flowers and sentient beings. All you need are brushes and multi-colored paints and voila…"

The 18th Panagbenga Festival has officially started yesterday with a grand parade led by the Baguio City elementary schools’ drum and lyre bands and a dance competition. Panagbenga, a Kankanaey term, means “a season of blossoming.” The Festival of Panagbenga was conceived in 1995 to dramatize Baguio’s reconstruction after the July 16, 1990 earthquake. Over time, the term became a tribute to the beautiful flowers that abundantly thrive in the city. The Festival’s main focus, since its inception has been “to highlight the best of what the city can offer.”

With the theme “A Blooming Odyssey,” the year’s Panagbenga Festival is expected to be well-attended by Baguio’s local and foreign sister cities, including Vaughn (Canada), Hanyu (Japan), and Vallejo (California). The theme “reflects the history, traditions and values of the city of Baguio and the entire Cordilleras.” Photo credit: Lakbay Baguio. For more photos you can always drop by Lakbay Baguio.