Popular to tourists for its cool temperate climate, Baguio City has plenty of things to offer, from its beautiful landscapes with lush highland forests to the freshest produce, like the sweet red strawberries. Aside from that, the Summer Capital of the Philippines is a fun and festive place to visit, especially in February, when the Baguio Flower Festival occurs. It's a colorful and vibrant festival that offers an unforgettable experience, boasting Baguio's culture, creativity, and beauty.
 
If you’re ready to immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind experience, read on as we share the Baguio Flower Festival 2024 Schedule (Panagbenga)!

Baguio Flower Festival 2024 (Panagbenga)

Also known as the Panagbenga Festival, the Baguio Flower Festival is an official event that can only be experienced in Baguio City. It's an annual celebration, which takes place in the first week of February to March when the region is in full bloom of beautiful and radiant flowers. The festival also features the Cordillera region's rich cultural heritage through exciting activities. That's why the Panagbenga Festival is a must-experience in Baguio City.

Theme & Highlights

The theme of the Baguio Flower Festival 2024, or Panagbenga, is “Celebrating Traditions, Embracing Innovation.” Since this highly anticipated event is a crowd drawer, the City of Pines has prepared plenty of activities showcasing artistry and cultural expression. The Grand Street Dancing Parade is the main highlight of the Baguio Flower Festival 2024, reflecting the Cordilleras' cultural heritage through lively dance productions and detailed costumes.
 
Apart from that, the main event of the Panagbenga Festival 2024 is the Grand Float Parade throughout the streets of Baguio City, featuring magnificent floats embellished with vibrant flowers. Tourists can also enjoy other activities, like exhibits, a kite flying challenge, cultural dance competitions, and the Session Road in Bloom.
Schedule of Activities

Here’s the schedule of activities for the Baguio Flower Festival 2024 (Panagbenga):

• February 1 to March 3, 2024 - Panagbenga scapes: A Garden Exhibit (Featuring the Official Entries of the Professional Landscaping Competition)
• February 1 to March 3, 2024 - Baguio Blooms: A Market Encounter (Featuring: A Flora and Flavor Fair)
• February 3, 2024 - Panagbenga Grand Opening Day Parade and Ceremony

(Venue: Panagbenga Park- Session Road- Harrison Road- Melvin Jones Grand stand and Football Grounds)

• February 10, 2024 - Spring Festival
• February 11, 2024(Sunday) - Fresh Floral Fusion: A School-Based Competition
• February 11, 2024 (Sunday) - Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom: The Art of Blooming
• February 11, 2024 (Sunday) - Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio: The Family Fair (Venue: Melvin Jones)
• February 11, 2024 - 9th Annual Panagbenga Kite Flying Challenge (Venue: Melvin Jones)
• February 15 to 17, 2024 - Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Grand Alumni Homecoming (Venue: PMA)
• February 17, 2024 - School-Based Landscaping Competition (Judging)
• February 18, 2024 - Fluvial Parade at the Burnham Lake (Venue: Burnham Lake)
• February 18, 2024 - Panagbenga Cultural Dance Competition
• February 24 & 25, 2024 - Panagbenga Sponsors Exhibit
• February 24, 2024 - Panagbenga Grand Street Dance Parade
• February 25, 2024 - Panagbenga Grand Floral Float Parade
• February 26 to March 3, 2024 - Session Road in Bloom
• March 1 & 2, 2024 - Panagbenga Flower Tee Golf Classic
• March 3, 2024 - Closing Program and Awarding Ceremonies (Floral Cadence: The PMA Silent Drill Exhibition)
• March 3, 2024 - Celestial Blooms (Panagbenga Grand Aerial Fireworks Display)

Baguio Flower Festival 2024 Calendar of Events

Summary

Overall, the Baguio Flower Festival 2024 (Panagbenga) is not just a celebration of the blossoming flowers. But it's more of a demonstration of the spirit and flexibility of the Cordillerans. Additionally, the Panagbenga Festival 2024 highlights the improvements of the city, rich traditions, and lively community. Therefore, the festival is a remarkable moment to experience the natural beauty and culture of Baguio City - a celebration loaded with fun and colorful memories!

Baguio City is one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines, known for its cool climate, luscious parks, and mountainsides filled with enormous pine trees. Dubbed the "Summer Capital of the Philippines," Baguio is popular among tourists thanks to its romantic vibe, vibrant nightlife, and many shopping options. But what's new in Baguio City?
 
Read on as we’ve gathered the latest news and trends in Baguio that you should know about before taking your long-awaited vacation in the City of Pines.
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Local Irritability

Since it’s a popular tourist destination in the country, locals and foreign tourists come and go to Baguio City. During February, tourists flock to the city to enjoy and witness the charming beauty of Panagbenga or the Baguio Flower Festival. When the weather in Baguio turns chilly, the influx of tourists also rises, especially during Christmastide. While it's good for tourism, it has increased local irritability. That's why the local officials aim to address the issue.
 
According to local officials, they are now weighing the resources tourists utilize whenever they visit Baguio to efficiently deal with the road, water, and environment. Additionally, the officials seek to address the local irritability caused by heavy crowds and road gridlocks on weekends. Although a local official advises tourists not to bring their cars to go, it's not reasonable. Thus, the planning congress has discussed establishing a new tourism code in preparation for the Panagbenga Festival, which attracts the biggest crowd in the city.
 
The local government seeks to understand and find a solution to why the residents of Baguio began resenting tourists who have contributed to the town's economy. Hence, Baguio is currently undertaking redevelopment utilizing studies on Urban Carrying Capacity.

Diarrhea Outbreak

Aside from the antagonism of locals on tourism, Baguio had an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis, which was declared by Mayor Benjamin Magalong. As per the Department of Health (DOH), based on the Baguio City Health Office's preliminary findings, the surge in diarrhea cases in the city started on December 21, 2023. Nonetheless, the outbreak’s critical period is already over. Therefore, health officials shifted their focus to determining the source and cause of the diarrhea outbreak in the city.
 
Starting last January 9, 2024, the new cases of diarrhea continued dropping. As of January 14, 2024, there were only 14 cases reported, which significantly dropped from 520 last January 8. Furthermore, most patients recovered or are almost recovering, and there's no record of fatalities. According to the tests performed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), patients from 10 hospitals have tested positive for sapovirus and norovirus.
 
More tests are also performed according to officials of the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau and City Health Services Office (CHSO). The test conducted by the CHSO showed that some water sources tested positive for E. coli bacteria. Nonetheless, there were no bacteria found in the Baguio Water District. Meanwhile, health officials encourage everyone to perform precautionary measures, such as frequent handwashing and drinking boiled or purified water only.

Digital Payment Trends

Although Baguio residents were irked by the influx of tourists, the busy crowd meant more sales for local vendors. That's why some vendors introduced an innovative payment method in the Baguio City Public Market to make shopping more convenient for customers. Now, customers can pay via GCash when purchasing vegetables - a seamless, efficient, and cashless payment method for modern-day shoppers. This trend will benefit all buyers, from residents and tourists, making it easier to buy fresh produce.