📖 About Baguio

Baguio City, the Philippines' Summer Capital, sits high in the mountains of northern Luzon at 1,500 meters elevation, where cool air and pine-scented breezes offer escape from tropical heat. The 29th Panagbenga Festival 2025, themed "Blossoms Beyond Boundaries," kicked off February 1 with thousands of students participating in the opening parade, showcasing colorful performances of festival and cultural dances.

Panagbenga 2025 was the biggest yet, according to festival president Frederico Alquiroz. The Grand Street Dancing parade was held February 22, followed by the Grand Float Parade on February 23. Session Road closed for "Panagbenga Session Road in Bloom" from February 24 to March 2. This year's event marked the 29th staging although 2025 is technically the festival's 30th founding anniversary.

All hotels in the city were booked as traffic managers prepared alternate routes for massive crowds. New in 2025: more dance competition categories, increased grand prizes for medium and large float categories, and continuation of the newly launched small float category. The "Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio" on February 9 allowed families to paint canvases displayed along parade routes.

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💼 Economy & Culture

Baguio's economy centers on tourism, education, and commerce. The city hosts major universities including University of the Philippines Baguio and Saint Louis University. Tourism peaks during Panagbenga and summer months when lowland Filipinos escape the heat. The growing IT-BPO sector and creative industries diversify the local economy beyond traditional retail and hospitality.

Cordilleran culture blends indigenous Igorot traditions with American colonial and Filipino influences. The cool climate enables temperate gardens with strawberries, vegetables, and cut flowers. Arts and crafts include woodcarving, weaving, and silver jewelry. Coffee culture thrives in the cool mountain air. The warmth of Baguio residents contrasts the cool weather, earning the city its reputation for hospitality and educational excellence.

📜 History

Baguio was developed as a hill station by American colonial administrators in the early 1900s, designed by Daniel Burnham to serve as a summer retreat from Manila's heat. The city became the official Summer Capital of the Philippines. Camp John Hay served as an American military facility. Japanese forces occupied Baguio during World War II, and General Yamashita surrendered nearby.

The devastating 1990 Luzon earthquake killed over 1,500 people in Baguio, collapsing buildings and traumatizing the city. Panagbenga was created in 1995 as a tribute to the city's flowers and a symbol of rising from the earthquake's devastation. What started as recovery became celebration. Today's Panagbenga draws massive crowds, proving Baguio blooms stronger after adversity.