The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. – the organizing body behind Baguio City’s annual Panagbenga Festival – issued a statement addressing the negative feedback received by an implementation for the street dance tournament. 

This, after participants and concerned netizens expressed distress on social media over their bad experiences with, and observations of the artificial turf used on Melvin Jones Football Grounds for the grand street dance competition held last February 28. 

Supposedly for ‘safety,’ the installation appeared to have caused injuries due to its scorching hot surface that hurt the feet of the performers. 

In a March 2 statement published on PIA-Baguio’s Facebook page, BFFFI Executive Committee Chairperson Anthony R. De Leon said the team acknowledges the “serious concerns raised,” and apologizes to all parties that experienced “pain, injury, and distress.”

He also said that BFFFI takes “full responsibility” as it was an “error in judgment.”

De Leon’s justification of the decision, per the statement, was that the organization intended the artificial grass to improve the performance area. He concluded, however, that the result “caused harm and fell short of the care, judgment, and cultural sensitivity” from an organizer’s standpoint. 

A quick search of key words “artificial turf” and “Panagbenga” on Facebook displays the negative impact of the faux grass to street dancers, reflecting the universally disapproving sentiment of those who experienced performing on the installation. 

Since the event’s conclusion, photos and videos of performers collapsing, and of post-performance foot blisters and other injuries immediately spread online. 

According to local reports before the festival’s observance, the artificial turf was a key implementation unique to this year’s 30th Panagbenga grand street dance competition, and was initially proposed as a safer alternative. In previous years, the performances were held at the same venue but on bare ground without the turf.