Baguio sets strict waste rules for 2026 Panagbenga Festival

BAGUIO CITY — To ensure that the celebration of the 2026 Baguio Flower Festival, or Panagbenga, complies with the Extended Producer Responsibility Act and local sustainability targets, the city government has established strict waste management protocols.

Benjamin Magalong directed the festival organizing committee and concerned city departments to enforce the measures until 8 March 2026. The organizing committee is required to submit a comprehensive waste management plan to the General Services Office for approval before the festival begins.

The plan must include specific strategies for waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, along with a monitoring log to track waste generation. These regulations apply to all festival activities, including the Market Encounter, the floral parades, and the Session Road in Bloom trade fair.

All festival participants, exhibitors, and vendors are required to implement a four-stream waste segregation system at the source, categorizing items into food scraps, paper, plastics, and residuals. The use of sachets, Styrofoam, and plastic cutlery is strictly prohibited at all venues. Single-use plastic drink containers are discouraged and are only permitted if vendors have documented recovery agreements with local recycling facilities.

Vendors must use reusable, returnable, or compostable packaging and maintain their own segregation bins. To manage public waste, the city will install color-coded waste stations with proper liners along parade routes and activity centers. Waste collection points will also be established, with materials gathered at least twice daily to ensure cleanliness throughout event areas.

Trained segregation marshals will be deployed to guide the public and monitor compliance. The marshals will record waste data separately for public and vendor areas, to be consolidated into a post-event report.

The data will be used to improve the city’s environmental practices for future events, while coordinating with stakeholders such as the Environmental Management Bureau to ensure all regional regulations are met.