The Baguio City Police Office said thousands of visitors from all over the country descended on the "Summer Capital" to witness the city's annual flower festival — the "Panagbenga Festival."
The Panagbenga Festival 2023, with the theme "A Renaissance of Wonder and Beauty," has already attracted approximately 14,000 tourists.
After being postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the threat of the deadly COVID-19, Panagbenga only returned in 2022 in an effort to revitalize the city's tourism industry.
Classes had previously been suspended in accordance with Executive Order 30, Series of 2023 to make way for the Street Dance Parade, one of the festival's crowd-drawing activities.
An online traffic application was also recently launched to provide motorists with information and directional assistance, as well as to help reduce road congestion during crowd-drawing events.
The festival began on February 1 and will conclude on March 5 with awarding and closing ceremonies at the Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds. It will all culminate on the same day with a spectacular aerial fireworks display in Session Road and Burnham Park.
The festival is held every February to honor the city's flowers and to recover from the devastating 1990 Luzon magnitude of 7.7 earthquake.
