Politicians converge in Panagbenga festival

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines —Not only creativity and culture fueled Baguio City’s 23rd year staging of the Panagbenga festival here. Politics also tried to grab the spotlight.

Most members of the Marcos family, led by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his elder sister Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and her son Ilocos Norte second district board member Matthew Manotoc joined this year’s street dancing parade yesterday, apparently as preparation for their running for national positions next year.

“Our family is still thinking about it,” Imee told journalists at the Baguio Athletic Bowl after speaking before more than 15,000 Panagbenga revelers gathered to witness the ground competitions.

The governor said this area is memorable to their family since it was the place where former presdient Ferdinand Marcos and Ilocos Norte first district Rep. Imelda Romualdez-Marcos eloped and got married in La Trinidad, Benguet.

“We will see to it that there will be a deeper connection between Baguio City, the Cordillera and the whole of Ilocandia in terms of tourism and development sharing,” said Imee.

The Marcoses overshadowed presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino who was sent by President Duterte to deliver his congratulatory message to the Baguio residents for staging “a festival unparalleled anywhere else in the country.”

Marching with thousands of young and smiling street dancers, the Marcoses took time to shake hands with the crowd.

The highlights of the Panagbenga started yesterday with the street dancing and flower float parades.

Basking in its recently being declared one of 64 cities worldwide included by UNESCO in the Creative Cities Network, the month-long “celebration of culture and creativity,” this year’s Panagbenga theme, festival organizers saw to it that “creativity became an important criteria in the month-long festivities ingrained in Baguio’s highland and exotic lure.”

Local officials expect two million people to join the festivities along Baguio’s main streets, Burnham Park and other places of convergence.