Last Saturday, with my guest in tow, I decided to brave this year's Panagbenga celebration. The traffic wasn't as bad as I had expected. The flyover at the junction of Kennon Road, Marcos Highway, Kisad & Gov. Pack Road really did the trick. While some Baguio residents may grumble that it destroyed the once simple scenery, the flyover really eased up the traffic way better than if the road had just been widened. Of course, there is no denying that certain GOVernment officials did make money off of it. Hindi ENGeng ang mga tao. Hehehe.
We went to mass at 6:15AM then drove towards Burnham Park after. After finding a parking space, we walked to the pedestrian overpass that connected Sunshine, Maharlika & Tiongsan. The trick to finding a perfect spot is to go really really early so you can stake claim to a spot along the ledge otherwise get ready to enjoy heads that smell of perspiration. OR you can stake a place along the roads the parade will be passing through. A sensible thing to do is to make sure you know the parade route by asking the cops or organizers. Bring a bit of food and beverage because once you pick a spot, don't leave it. Don't forget to bring a handkerchief or a small towel because in certain spots you'll be assaulted by a stench coming from somewhere. We managed to get a place with a good view of the parade but unfortunately there was a restroom below. EAU DE TOILET! HEHEHE
BE CAREFUL and AWARE of your belongings even during regular days. I can never stress this enough. The pickpockets here are skillful. You won't know who they are because there are no stereotypes. They can be school kids and college girls. If you position yourself in Harrison Road and observe the pedestrian overpass during tourist and non-tourist days you'll see the innocent looking kolehiyala is actually -- TADA! -- a very adept kolehiyala pickpocket! So, when visiting Baguio, be wary in public places. =D
The lessons I've learned at the Panagbenga is that no matter where I positioned myself along the ledge I found myself beside the MOST ANNOYING characters! The man on my right climbed and positioned himself on the ledge with his daughters and tried inching his way into my space. HAH! Ako pa hinamon nya e ang taba ko compared to his thin frame HEHEHE. When the parade started he would comment loudly in his whiney voice that it was "panget", "mas maganda ang chinese new year" etc etc. We gave him a simple advice: sandali lang naman yan hijo e di wag ka manood! Sosme. I don't see anyone holding a gun to your head and making you watch! Tumahimik naman after a while. BUT whenever he heard a Mt. Province tune played by the bands he would loudly burst into song! AUGHHHH!
My friend found herself being jostled to give space to latecomers. E malaki sya. She looked at them in the eye and said "kaya mo ako?" They took one look at her and backed-off HE HE HE.
The street dancing parade was fun but after a while it started to get monotonous because you see the same things over and over again. The lull between groups was a bit long. Think "dead air". Also, after watching group upon group perform you'd wish it was over. Just when you thought the parade had ended you'd see another group going down Session Road. Grabe. It could vie for the longest parade record. Wala akong tiyaga.
Some groups did stand out like the beautiful national costume of the Korean community as well as the graceful dance of the gay community. The costumes and choreography of some groups were interesting and colorful. The kids were adorable. However, there were children who were made to dance like the Sex Bomb Dancers, gyrating to music that bordered on the obscene. And we wonder why the Philippines is one of the most popular pedophile tourist spots. =/
The bands played the Panagbenga song and several tunes recognizably from "Drumline". All in all, it was a fun and educating experience. However, after several hours we found ourselves yawning so we left the coveted spot to seek oasis at O Mai Khan.
