The Aftermath Of Panagbenga: Where To, Baguio?

The famed Panagbenga or the Baguio Flower Festival is on it’s last leg, marked by Session Road in Bloom and a line up of closing events in a few days. Last weekend’s grand parades had close to 1.5 million people watching on the streets of the Summer Capital. Traffic and lack of taxis became common once again. That, and tons of garbage because of the influx of tourists.

The Department of Tourism and the local government lauded the success of the festival. The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation also noted that this year’s festivities brought with it good business for local tourism.

Panagbenga, In The Eyes Of A New Baguio Resident

When I made Baguio my home more than 5 years ago, I was still a tourist at heart. I looked forward to the yearly Panagbenga during the first two years as a new resident. Then it hit me.

I suddenly experienced the hardship of Baguio residents everytime tourists flock to the city – traffic, hours waiting for a ride, and crowded streets and establishments. I could not even go do my marketing and grocery shopping in peace. Then, like everybody else who has been living in the city for the longest time, I started blaming the tourists.

Fast forward to now, I suddenly dread the seasons when tourists begin their trek up north. Previously, it was only December, Panagbenga, the Holy Week and summer. Now, because of better roads and expressways, it’s everytime there is a long weekend.

Baguio City’s Carrying Capacity

When the Americans established Baguio back in the colonial times, it was designed to carry 25,000 people. Right now, the city is home to more than 300,000, including students and transient workers. Traffic jams are a sure sign that a city is way past its carrying capacity. The sheer volume of people, residents and tourists combined, could not be serviced by local transport services plus the roads are full of cars and vehicles.

As it is, even without tourists, we are already struggling with solid waste management. And the city spends so much on transporting our trash to the nearest landfill or dumpsite.

Local government has been struggling to find a solution to the problems of traffic and vehicular congestion. Countless proposals have been made, including a “smart road, smart traffic” ordinance, but we have yet to see how it will be implemented and how effective it will be.

Stop The Blame Game

With problems such as traffic, we love to play the blame game. We point our fingers to local government and the police for not dealing with it. But remember, we as residents also have responsibilities as citizens. Take for example following pedestrian lanes and loading and unloading zones. I am pretty sure some of us are guilty of being the entitled pedestrian who feels they can cross anytime they want or get off wherever they want. Think about it.

When it comes to garbage, we need to take care of our own first. I mean, if you complain about other people’s trash, you should at least have yours in order, right? Start at home and follow waste segregation as faithfully as possible. And please, if you see anyone, whether a tourist or a fellow resident, throwing rubbish on the side of the street, it won’t hurt to remind them as politely as you can, to dispose of it properly, preferably in the nearest trash can. Be responsible.

We clearly cannot blame the tourists, although we want to. Undoubtedly, they bring a lot to the city’s economy. So we cannot exactly turn them away and say “The inn is full.” Giving them a pleasant tourist experience is connected to finding ways for better traffic management.

As for our city’s woes, we hope that we have learned enough from the past so that we can find solutions to them. If we truly love this city, our home, we have to care enough to find ways to help, no matter how small. Let’s start by talking about our problems (not just complain) and engaging with one another in order to solve them.