The public, especially exhibitors interested to participate in the trade fair component of the Panagbenga 2023, have been warned to be cautious about individuals offering them booth applications or reservations.
The organizers issued the warning following reports about individuals engaged in a scam to lure potential exhibitors for the Market Encounter, set from Feb. 1 to 28 and the Session Road in Bloom set from Feb. 27 to March 5.
Panagbenga Executive Committee Chair Anthony de Leon said reports about individuals offering booths at the market encounter at P140,000 per stall have reached them.
He said the rent of stall for the one-month trade fair to be held at the Juan Luna Drive is only P60,000.
De Leon added exhibitors are not mandated to pay anybody any amount, except only to the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI).
The contract between BFFFI and the organizer of the trade fair component of the market encounter, whose main highlight is the landscape competition, provides there should be no sub-leasing of stalls.
“A breach of this provision and payment to anybody other than the BFFFI will warrant the termination of the contract,” de Leon said.
For the Session Road in Bloom, the BFFFI will start accepting applications on Jan. 30.
Malou Galiste, who is in charge of the Session Road in Bloom fair, said the applications for the 330 stalls will only run for a week.
Galiste said booth rentals would depend on the size of the stall to be applied for, which is three by four meters, three by 4.5 meters, and 3 by 2.2 meters.
She said scammers are offering a rental of P120,000 per booth reportedly to last for 11 days.
She said the only authorized body to process applications for the Session Road in Bloom is the screening committee of the BFFFI. – Jane B. Cadalig
