Baguio City Prepares: Chinese New Year And ‘Panagbenga-Like’ Miss Universe Parade

Baguio City is getting busier and busier with the scheduled Miss Universe visit on Wednesday, January 18 and the annual Chinese New Year Grand parade on Friday, January 27. This year is one of the busiest years for Baguio City because right after the Miss Universe and the Chinese Parade comes the Panagbanga or Baguio Flower Festival which happens in February.

Baguio City Prepares for ‘Panagbenga-like’ Miss Universe Parade

Just a few more days and the twenty-nine Miss Universe candidates will be gracing the streets of Baguio City. The parade ends at the Baguio Country Club where “The Crown” will take place. This is an invitational Golf Tournament where golfers and members can meet reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach and the candidates as well. Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan has already suspended classes and gave an administrative order to close both lanes of upper Session Road on January 18.

The Miss Universe parade starts at 7:00 a.m. and as earlier announced, the candidates will be treated to an early taste of the famed Baguio Flower festival through a street parade which will be participated by schools and universities. The beauties will also have their own specially-designed floral floats according to Anthony de Leon of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) and also General Manager of the Baguio Country Club.

Miss Universe will get three floral floats. Each of them will have different designs which represent the three major Islands of the country: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. HRAB says this is the first major event that will take place in Baguio City. Report says there are over 1,000 policemen and civilian operatives and volunteers deployed at the route of the parade. A traffic plan is also already in place for Wednesday as previously reported.

Baguio City Chinese Community Prepares For Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year in Baguio City is also another event that local and tourists look forward to. The street parade and “dragons” that come and take the “ampao” hung on the doors of some establishments are what makes it so festive.

This year is the Year of the Rooster. On January 9, this years festivity was launched at the Baguio City Hall quadrangle followed by the opening of the art exhibit, “Kawitan Ti Sanglay” on January 12 at the Hotel Supreme Convention Plaza. On January 24, the Chinese community will be having a gift-giving project with Barangay Lower Quirino Hill indigents as recipients.

The Grand Parade happens on Friday, January 27 which is the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. On January 28, which is the start of the Year of the Rooster, the Baguio City Bell Church Community opens its doors to the less fortunate for its annual gift-giving program at 2:00 p.m.

Baguio City Temperature Drops To 11 Degrees Celsius

During the past few days, Baguio City’s temperature  has started to drop. On January 8, Baguio temperature was at 11.5 degrees Celsius while Benguet was at 9.8 degrees. On Monday morning, Baguio City temperature has now dropped to 11 degrees Celsius.

In a report made by Sunstar, weather specialist from PAGASA Wilson Locando says the cold weather in the Summer capital of the Philippines, Benguet and Mountain Province is said to extend and further drop until early March. Locando says the coldest days happen during the months of January and February.