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DepED supports BFFI-led flower fest

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 2) — Despite Mayor Braulio D. Yaranon’s appeal for them to support the official Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga, the management committee the Department of Education (DepEd) division office here, decided to join the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI).

The management committee was tasked to study four options on the department’s participation in the 2006 flower festival.

Dr. Fernando Eliponga, DepEd spokesperson said they only considered the children as the main factor in finalizing the decision. The management committee composed of representatives of superintendents and supervisors, including principals, teachers and parents had to meet four times before the decision was finalized on Jan. 30.

“We did not even think of personalities, financial support or political considerations,” Eliponga said of their group’s (Baguio City Schools Division) process. He said the children have started rehearsing for the flower festival since November last year.

According to Eliponga, the educators will discourage the participating students if they opted not to participate, referring to the first option. He mentioned that dividing the participants, the third option, might pose problems of which school to send to groups, either Atty. Damaso Bangaoet’s or Ms. Nelia Cid’s. “Budget will always be a problem had we decided to take the fourth option, which is to hold an independent flower festival,” Eliponga said.

The record of the BFFFI in handling the flower festival is one big factor that the DepEd officials considered.

Yaranon told the media that he met with DepEd superintendents on February 1. He appealed to them to reconsider their decision, insinuating that they join what he called the officially-sanctioned Panagbenga activities under the management of the Ad Hoc Committee now co-chaired by Roman Catholic Bishop Carlito Cenzon and businessperson Nelia Cid. Cid used to chair the Baguio Panagbenga Flower Festival Association (BPFFA), which managed last year’s Panagbenga.

The Panagbenga was officially declared open with a ritual and an opening program at the Rose Garden here, on Monday. However, the BFFFI had its own opening rites at the SM Entertainment Plaza on February 1, marking two separate initiatives.

Twenty elementary schools participated in the pre-festival screening for the street dancing and drum-and-lyre parade on February 26, of which only 15 made it to the final list, according to the DepEd official. Eliponga also revealed that four high schools will participate in the street dancing and two others are joining the marching band competition. He also mentioned that only one private high school is participating. All others backed out.

Yaranon said he reiterated before the superintendents that the full responsibility of the activities will fall on their shoulders should anything happens to the children. He recalled that two years ago children drenched when it rained during the street dancing and drum-and-lyre parade.

In a press conference last week, Baguio Congressman Mauricio Domogan assured that public funds for health have been released to the Baguio General Hospital last year.

“Saan pay met siguro a naibus didiay,” (It is not yet used up) Domogan said, apparently not ready to release new funds.

The DepEd is yet to submit a financial proposal to the BFFFI for the festival-related expenses that schools would incur. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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