by Pamela Mariz Geminiano/PNA
The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) assured financial support for the city’s chosen contingent to the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Aliwan Fiesta in April.
“The foundation is very much willing to subsidize an amount for the Baguio City National High School-Special Program for the Arts (BCNHS-SPA) for them represent the whole region in the Aliwan festival,” said Freddie Alquiros, a member of the Board of Directors of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) during the closing program on Sunday.
Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) won the high school category during the grand street dancing parade of the Panagbenga on March 2. The contingent is composed of 200 persons –dancers, props holders and assistants aside from the technical personnel.
Sending the contingent to the biggest gathering of festivals in the country is part of the reward for top rank performance in showcasing the wonders of Baguio City, he said.
The board of judges of the grand street dancing parade and field demonstration encouraged the foundation to send the BCNHS to the Aliwan festival because of their impressive performance.
The BFFFI had been sponsoring a contingent from Baguio City to represent the city in the Aliwan festival.
Among the initial preparations being done by the foundation for the participation of the BCNHS contingent is getting a sponsor for transportation, decent lodging for the participants, and the provision of any assistance to improve their performance.
The group’s performance, titled “Wonders of Baguio”, depicts the different tourist attractions in the city.
The story started at Tam-awan village to highlight the Indigenous Peoples, the culture, the preservation of traditions, and the people’s resiliency during the 1990 earthquake, which brought hopelessness. It went on to show the Lourdes Grotto as one of the wonders of the city because of the symbolism of hope and faith after the tragedy and moving forward to progress, which was the festival’s theme “Blooming Forward”.
The props used include a swan to represent the water element, botanical garden for earth element, lion for fire element and butterflies for air element.
“With that kind of presentation, the students’ motivation, and patience they have the chance to win in the Aliwan festival,” Alquiros said.
In an earlier interview, Ricky Chia, BCNHS-SPA told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that participation to the Aliwan festival served as a motivation to the group when they started to practice for the Panagbenga competition.
“Even before the performance in grand street parade competition, teachers are hopeful that we will be able to join in this year’s Aliwan festival and that served as our motivation to perform better,” Chia said.
He said props would be enhanced to better represent, not only Baguio City, but the entire Cordillera Region as well.
