Gods, fairies and flowers: The top float designs at Panagbenga

Panagbenga may just be one of the biggest festivals the Philippines has to offer, and that is chiefly because of its fantastic flower-built floats parading down one of Baguio City's main thoroughfares every year.

2014 saw a bounty of pop culture icons grace the floats, from zombies to Minions to local celebrities such as Marian Rivera and Ogie Alcasid on Feb. 23. However, the top three winners featured none of these, instead choosing ancient Egypt and fairy tales (or possibly Shakespeare) as their inspirations.

1st place: International Pharmaceuticals Inc. (P200,000)

International Pharmaceuticals' winning float: ancient Egyptians and the Sto. Niño. Photos courtesy of YMV & Associates, Inc.

This float featured an ancient Egyptian motif with a Pinoy twist: a Sto. Niño statue would appear out of the top of a large gold pyramid in a puff of smoke, and then descend again. The pyramid and what looked like a snake goddess were also flanked by eight flower-basket-laden Anubis statues. The float was followed young men in Egyptian attire beating drums and multi-colored bird women. The float took home the biggest cash prize of P200,000.

2nd place: Department of Agriculture, Cordillera Region

The Department of Agriculture-CAR's fairy-filled float.

 

The Department of Agriculture's float was a veritable forest of flowers, under the shade of which fairies in sparkling pastels sheltered. The department took home P175,000 as its prize.

3rd place: Manila North Luzon Tollways Corp.

MNTC's Plants vs. Pollution float

 

This float took the spectacle and theme of Panagbenga very seriously, but still got some fun elements in. It made floral likenesses of the plants from the Plants vs. Zombies game, but its theme was “Plants vs. Pollution” instead. Mascots and girls in plant dresses danced and boys in zombie attire performed acrobatic tricks. The float won MNTC P150,000. — Vida Cruz/BM, GMA News