Politicians find ways to sneak in campaign at Panagbenga
BAGUIO CITY—Two floats that participated in the 29th Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival) are under scrutiny following reports that groups behind them violated the event’s ban on election-related campaigning ahead of the May 12 elections.
Reelectionist Sen. Imee Marcos, has faced online criticism, along with celebrities who joined her wearing her red campaign shirts aboard the Ilocos Norte provincial government float during the parade on Feb. 23.
Frederico Alquiros, president of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI), said the senator and her delegation were required to wear jackets to conceal their campaign colors before the Ilocos Norte float was allowed to proceed.
Festival organizers reinstated a policy typically enforced during the election season, which prohibits political candidates from using the parades as campaign platforms.
Candidates are not barred from joining the parades, said lawyer Mauricio Domogan, a former Baguio mayor and representative who serves as BFFFI chair emeritus. However, they are not allowed to carry flags or banners, wear campaign attire or engage in electioneering during the Grand Street Dancing Parade on Feb. 22 or the Grand Float Parade on Feb. 23, Domogan said at a briefing on Wednesday, held during the festival’s weeklong street bazaar, Session Road in Bloom.
Disruption
Candidates are also prohibited from disrupting the parade to interact with spectators or from distributing campaign materials during the Panagbenga parades.
Anthony de Leon, the festival’s executive committee chair, said organizers initially asked Marcos’ companions to leave the parade grounds but they relented when the group covered their campaign shirts.
Organizers objected when Marcos requested to leave the parade at the city center to attend another appointment. Instead, police allowed her to leave when the float reached the intersection of Session Road and Magsaysay Avenue.
BFFFI officials said the senator, President Marcos’ eldest sister, was seen shaking hands with people after getting off the float, which they considered a violation of the festival’s rules.
“We don’t break their rules when we visit their provinces, so we expect them to respect our rules here,” De Leon said.
Alquiros also said the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) float could also be held liable for violating the rule against political campaigning.
A BFFFI official, who asked not to be named, said campaign leaflets for reelectionist Sen. Lito Lapid, father of Tieza chair Mark Lapid, were scattered on the road as the agency’s float passed by.
Festival organizers did not specify potential sanctions for violators, but indicated that offenders could face a long-term ban from future festival activities. Next year’s event will mark the 30th anniversary of Panagbenga, the flower festival’s Kankanaey name which means “season of blooming.”
Voter education
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) also participated in Sunday’s parade with a float carrying Comelec chair George Garcia. Adorned with flowers, the float bore the slogan: “Makabagong Halalan Para sa Makabagong Pilipino 2025.”
“We are here for voter education—to persuade people to vote, and to vote wisely for the right people,” Garcia said, expressing hope for increased voter turnout in the upcoming elections.
According to poll records, the 2022 presidential election saw over 82 percent voter participation, with approximately 55 million of 67.4 million registered voters casting their ballots.
Away from the parade route, various party list groups distributed campaign leaflets.
Later on Sunday, after the parade ended, the senatorial slate of the Makabayan bloc met with the public at Baguio City Public Market, although their scheduled campaign rally was cut short by heavy rain.
This year’s Panagbenga featured 43 floral floats—the largest lineup of commercial, nongovernment and entertainment groups in the flower festival’s history.
