By Liza Agoot
BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI), which organizes the annual festival with the float parade among the highlights, said it is considering mandating the accreditation of float makers as a way of regulating the industry.
“We have to address this because they are discouraging others from joining the float parade by charging so much,” Anthony De Leon, chairman of the BFFFI Executive Committee, said in a phone interview on Friday.
He said they will soon come up with a policy to address the issue of overcharging and the use of middlemen, which further increases the cost of making a float.
The decision came after reports surfaced that some float makers were charging PHP1.5 million to PHP1.8 million.
De Leon said that the Baguio Country Club, where he is the manager, is paying about PHP500,000 for a large float that already includes the flowers, labor, materials, and the designer’s fee.
“That is too much. We are not buying a sedan, we are just renting a truck and decorating it with flowers,” he added.
The Baguio Country Club has been participating in the annual parade since the festival’s early years.
De Leon said the overcharging is greatly damaging the float-making industry.
“We understand it is a once-a-year activity, but we should be reasonable about the fees,” he said.
With the planned accreditation, only floats made by accredited float makers will be allowed to participate, as a way of regulating the charges imposed on float participants.
He noted five professional float makers but plans a seminar to share knowledge with current assistants. (PNA)
