Baguio cancels Panagbenga parades

March 9, 2020

BAGUIO CITY  -- Baguio Flower Festival’s major events were cancelled Monday afternoon after a closed-door meeting of the inter-agency task force on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

The inter-agency task force is composed of officials of the Baguio City Government headed by Magalong, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc.(BFFFI), Department of Health ( DOH) Cordillera, Department of Education  Cordillera, the Baguio City Police Office and other agencies.

The task force convened Monday morning at the DOH Cordillera Training Center to assess the situation of CoVid infection in the country.

Baguio residents renewed the demand for government and organizers of the annual Panagbenga festival to cancel the two-decade and a half old festival of flowers fearing the COVID-19s infection might emerge here.

The re-scheduled opening parade is on March 21 while the Grand Street Dancing and Grand Float Parade are reset for March 28 and 29. This should have been followed by a week-long Session Road in Bloom Food and Trade Exposition.

The Office of the City Mayor, officials of BFFFI and the executive committee of the Panagbenga 2020 recommended the cancellation, “to ensure the safety of everyone”.

Magalong said they have decided to temporarily close the Baguio City Night Market at the Harrison Road, Baguio City. DMS