On March 4 and 5, 2026, the University of the Cordilleras (UC) took center stage at the iconic Session Road in Bloom, the culminating highlight of the 30th Panagbenga Festival. Under the pearl anniversary theme of “Blooming Without End,” the UC Center for Creative Productions (CCP) transformed Baguio City’s primary thoroughfare into a vibrant theater of heritage. This showcase celebrated the festival’s three-decade legacy of resilience alongside thousands of tourists and residents who gathered to witness the city’s premier artistic talents celebrating the “season of blooming”.
The presentation itself was a masterclass in multidisciplinary artistry, seamlessly blending ancestral roots with contemporary flair. The UC Saeng Ya Kasay Cultural Ensemble mesmerized onlookers with the rhythmic thunder of gongs and authentic Cordilleran dances representing the six provinces of the region. Simultaneously, the UC Dance Company bridged the era gap with high-energy modern choreography, while the UC Percussion and Orchestra joined the UC Featured Artists to provide a melodic tapestry of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) and international hits. These performances turned the crowded street into an immersive “Sining na Buhay” (Living Arts) experience that resonated through the cool Baguio air.
While the event served as a non-competitive exhibition, UC’s presence was a cornerstone of the festival’s massive scale, performing amidst over 450 curated stalls and sidewalk cafes. The university’s sets served as a primary draw for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who flooded the Upper Session Road during the week-long pedestrianization from March 2 to March 8. To ensure the safety of the massive crowd, 45 uniformed police personnel remained deployed along the stretch, while the university and organizers maintained a strict circular economy framework to promote sustainability throughout the showcase.
The university’s participation transcended mere entertainment, directly hitting institutional and global benchmarks. By reclaiming public spaces for cultural exchange, UC supported Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 for Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 4 for Quality Education by providing student-artists with a professional-grade platform for performance-based learning. Furthermore, these activities fulfilled the institution’s Key Result Area (KRA) of sustaining active participation in external activities that embody UC’s cultural identity, while solidifying the synergy between the university, the City Government, and the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) under SDG 17.
As the 30th-anniversary celebrations reach their peak, the UC-CCP reaffirms its commitment to “blooming without end” and cultural advocacy. The Center pledges to strive better by integrating more innovative, data-driven research—such as its ongoing studies on student-artist workloads—to ensure the holistic development and sustainability of its programs. Moving forward, UC will continue doing its part in leading Baguio’s cultural renaissance, ensuring that every beat of the drum and every step of the dance remains a testament to the “taraki” spirit of the North.
Author: Karla Alessandra O. Lagayan | CCP Production Coordinator
