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Beyond a celebration of flowers, Panagbenga 2025 also saw politicians entering the fray on some of the said floats
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – It takes around 30,000 to 50,000 flowers, meticulous planning, and at least 72 hours of nonstop labor to create just one Panagbenga float. Multiply that by 44, and you have an explosion of color, artistry, and craftsmanship rolling through the city streets.
The Grand Float Parade, a highlight of Baguio City’s month-long Panagbenga Festival, is why people wake up before sunrise, stake out their spots along Session Road and Harrison Road, and endure the crowds. Some come for the sheer artistry, others for the celebrity sightings, and many because it’s easier to appreciate a float than to view a street-dancing contingent through the entire parade route.
This year’s theme, “Blossoms Beyond Boundaries,” was brought to life through a dazzling lineup of floats, each telling a story beyond just flowers.
- Baguio Country Club, a Hall of Fame awardee, showcased two floats: one with a Shogun-era Japan theme, complete with cherry blossoms and a Torii gate, and another celebrating its 120th anniversary, featuring a tribute to its 1905 origins.
- SM Prime Holdings Inc. went big with a cornucopia-inspired float, symbolizing abundance and growth, probably a subtle hint on their ever-expanding developments.
- The City Government of Baguio paid tribute to its international sister cities, incorporating symbolic flowers from Texas, California, Hawaii, Korea, Japan, China, and Canada.
- The Department of Tourism’s float embodied the heritage and landscapes of the Cordilleras, featuring rice terraces, native huts, and a strong push for sustainable tourism.
- Paragon Hotel & Suites took a different route by literally rolling out a Batmobile-inspired float, complete with a 10-foot papier-mâché Batman. Because why not?
- Tau Gamma Phi went full Super Mario, featuring Rafflesia flowers, which, like the famous plumber, bloom in unexpected places.
Each float, adorned with fresh Everlastings, Sunflowers, Malaysian Mums, and Stargazers, was not just a display of floral artistry but a showcase of cultural identity, brand storytelling, and in some cases, corporate flexing.
Pulling off a parade of this scale takes more than just flowers. It takes a community.
Behind the scenes, architects, engineers, artists, and hundreds of volunteers worked around the clock, constructing the floats from recycled materials, reinforcing them with wood and metal, and finally decorating them mere hours before the parade to ensure freshness.
And then, of course, there are the Benguet farmers, the true backbone of Panagbenga. Their year-round labor ensures that thousands of fresh blooms make it to Baguio in time for the festival. No farmers, no flowers, no Panagbenga.
While the day was mostly about flowers, culture, and celebration, it wasn’t completely free of politically-adjacent controversy. Reports surfaced that Lapid campaign fans were distributed during the parade. It’s an eyebrow-raising move in what is supposed to be a strictly nonpartisan event.
The event also saw politicians entering the fray on some of the said floats.
When asked for comment, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) had yet to issue an official statement. Election season is in full bloom, too, it seems.
Politics aside, the Grand Float Parade once again proved why Panagbenga remains one of the most awaited festivals in the country. It’s a celebration of Baguio’s artistry, history, and resilience, wrapped in petals and woven with culture.
So yes, the roads were packed, the traffic was bad, and people still fought over prime viewing spots. But for a parade of this magnitude, would we expect anything less? Baguio’s heart is still blooming beyond boundaries, beyond challenges, and always in full color.
– Rappler.com
Photos by Mia Magdalena Fokno
