This mountain resort city will push through with the Panagbenga flower festival, but it is not only a competition among participants but also a competition between two groups on which of them can better manage the festival.

This developed after several businessmen, civic organizations, educational and religious institutions failed to mend the differences between the mayor and the congressman whose feud escalated to an exchange of tirades over a local radio station Saturday.

But both groups turned down proposals for the cancellation of the 2006 Panagbenga, saying it would be difficult to re-establish the crowd-drawing event if it is scrapped this year.

Baguio’s biggest crowd-drawing festivity has sparked a dispute between two groups, one sanctioned by Mayor Braulio Yaranon through the Baguio Panagbenga Flower Festival Association (BPFFA) headed by businesswoman Nelia Cid, and the other sanctioned by the City Council and Congressman Mauricio Domogan through the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) led by the festival’s acknowledged founder, lawyer Damaso Bangaoet Jr.

The association has already come out with a list of activities as it opened the Festival Month with a very simple program Monday morning at the Burnham grounds.

But similar activities will also be launched by the foundation in Feb. 1 at the SM Supermall. Both ensured that there will be no overlapping of activities.

On Feb. 25, for example, the association will conduct the parade and street dancing, while the foundation will hold a float parade in the afternoon.

On Feb. 26, the association will hold its own float parade, while the foundation will have its street dancing also in the afternoon.

Both groups, however, suffered the consequences of the withdrawal of several participants.

Some regular participants said they will not join any activity of both groups so that they would not be caught in the crossfire. It is not yet certain if the public schools will join the boycott.

Both groups are, however, ready with alternatives which include "importing" participants from neighboring towns and cities.

Foundation president Bangaoet, meanwhile, took positively the staging of two flower festivals and even wished the rival groups good luck. "We can show more activities to the public."

While three of the biggest universities here already announced that they are not joining this year’s festival, Bangaoet said this at least opens an opportunity for them to be more creative and innovative. Despite the absence of the regular participants, students, through clubs and organizations, are still welcome to join the festivities.

The feud came about when the city council decided last October that the foundation will handle the 11th Panagbenga festival, but Mayor Yaranon vetoed the council’s resolution and instead directed the association to handle the 2006 flower festival.

Over the weekend, Mayor Yaranon, in a radio interview, criticized the group of Baguio Congressman Domogan.

He said the foundation has still accountabilities amounting to R4 million.

But the foundation denied the claim and countered that it is the association that has still accountabilities based on the audited reports.