Star-studded Panagbenga thrills crowd in Baguio

GRAND BLOOM Celebrities ride floral floats as thousands line Session Road for the 30th Panagbenga Festival Grand Float Parade in Baguio City, on Sunday. About 30 elaborately decorated floats from companies, government agencies and local groups rolled through the city’s main thoroughfare, marking the festival’s milestone year and capping the monthlong celebration. —NEIL CLARK ONGCHANGCO

BAGUIO CITY—Celebrities added star power to the 30th Panagbenga or Baguio Flower Festival Grand Float Parade on Sunday, as thousands packed Session Road to witness the floral spectacle.

Actor James Reid, riding a soft drink brand float, drew loud cheers from the crowd. He was joined by veteran actress Rosanna Roces, who appeared on the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority float alongside its Chief Operating Officer, Mark Lapid. Television actors Kyline Alcantara, Michael Sager and Awra Briguela also took part in the parade.

Around 30 floats mounted by leading companies, government agencies, such as the Department of Tourism, and local institutions rolled through the city’s main thoroughfare, providing a festive climax to Panagbenga’s weekend highlights.

The crowd turnout surpassed that of Saturday’s Grand Street Dancing Parade, which Baguio Country Club manager Anthony de Leon estimated at 400,000 spectators.

Among the crowd favorites was Baguio Country Club’s “KPop Demon Hunters” float, featuring monsters and cosplayers portraying animated characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey.

The Baguio City government presented a horse-drawn chariot symbolizing the city’s earliest mode of transportation after the American colonial government established the “summer capital” in 1909.

According to festival notes, the horses were adorned with white and maroon chrysanthemums, while the equine centerpiece also paid tribute to 2026 as the Year of the Fire Horse in Chinese astrology.

SM City Baguio’s flower-laden float showcased a lion’s head, Mother Nature imagery and the Baguio Cathedral. Its rear design depicted rubble and shattered stone structures, referencing the devastating 1990 Luzon earthquake and highlighting the city’s resilience and recovery.

FLOWER SPECTACLE Baguio City bursts into color as Panagbenga’s floats parade through the streets, covered in vibrant blooms and intricate designs. Blending Cordilleran traditions with creative artistry, each float celebrates the city’s heritage, community spirit, and the beauty of Filipino craftsmanship. —PHOTOS BY ELIZA CONSUL/CONTRIBUTOR

Early bird

Tourists from nearby provinces began occupying sidewalks as early as 4:30 a.m., braving the early morning chill of 15.8 degrees Celsius at daybreak.

Unbeknownst to many parade-goers, a fire broke out at around 4:42 a.m. behind the Baguio Justice Hall, near the City Hall. The blaze struck a workers’ barracks in an area under rehabilitation, damaging the back wall before it was extinguished shortly before 5 a.m.

On Saturday, while street dancers performed along Session Road, a group of evangelical preachers staged what they described as “counterprogramming,” positioning teams at key corners to read Bible passages and remind the public that the Lenten season had begun.

The float parade concluded at noon, after which Session Road was swiftly transformed into “Session Road in Bloom,” the annual weeklong food and trade bazaar.

Panagbenga has become a highlight of Baguio’s peak tourism season, which begins during the Christmas holidays and traditionally ends on Holy Week. The city recorded 1.58 million tourist arrivals in 2024.