Baguio City, Philippines - Fairies sat among giant mushrooms and lush forests with every kind of Baguio bloom. Then came everlasting butterflies and carnation rabbits. A yellow chrysanthemum beehive with a bee mascot drew rounds of applause.
Huge strawberries made from densely packed roses glided by. Anthuriums, all in a row, served as the backdrop for red-winged angels. And at the tail end came a dragon poised for flight, bellowing and hissing amid a bed of multi-colored flowers.
These were the sights at the Grand Float Parade that concluded the Panagbenga Festival 2011 yesterday.
The Grand Float Parade kicked off with a series of marching bands, highlighted by pretty majorettes spinning their batons. This was followed by drum and lyre bands from various schools that showed off skills at dancing and playing instruments while marching on parade.
Interspersed among the drum and lyre bands were 26 floats that drew the oohs and aahs of the crowd. Sitting on the sidewalks of Baguio's landmark Session Road, spectators cheered for their favorite floats, as well as for entertainment celebrities like Sam Milby, Andi Manzano, Enchong Dee, and other personalities.
Tourism Secretary Albert Lim and other tourism leaders led the Department of Tourism (DoT) float.
The Panagbenga Festival is celebrated yearly in February. The name Panagbenga is derived from a word meaning ''a season of blooming'' in the ''kankanaeyy'' language spoken by the people from the Mountain Province.
Also called the Baguio Flower Festival, it pays tribute to the beautiful blooms that make Baguio so fragran
