Baguio Halloween dispute heads to City Council forum

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Organizers of the Baguio Horror Festival and groups questioning its public Halloween parade have expressed openness to changes to the event as the city government seeks common ground ahead of a City Council forum on Sept. 21.

The positions emerged during a preliminary dialogue on Sept. 14 facilitated by Councilor Yuri Weygan, chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Tourism, Special Events and Playgrounds, according to a news release issued by the Baguio City Council.

The dialogue brought together festival organizers and supporters, representatives of religious groups and churches, members of the academe and other concerned citizens.

The discussion centers on a petition questioning the themes and imagery associated with the public Halloween parade and whether the event is consistent with Ordinance 39-2023, or the Character City Ordinance.

Weygan said the dialogue was intended to allow the parties to hear one another and develop a possible compromise before the matter is taken up by the council.

He said the issue primarily concerns the public Halloween parade, while activities conducted in private venues are not covered by the petition.

Petitioners raised concerns about the use of death, horror, macabre and occult-related themes and their possible effects on children and young people.

Some participants called for the event to be stopped, while others proposed modifications that would allow the celebration to continue under conditions addressing their concerns.

The petition, as described in the council release, does not seek to prohibit private Halloween celebrations or criminalize Halloween observance.

It calls for a review of the festival’s permits, dialogue with organizers and measures intended to ensure future public events are consistent with the city’s character-building policies.

Festival organizer Carl Paolo Corpuz said the term “horror” refers to an artistic genre expressed through films, literature, photography, costumes and visual arts.

He said the festival does not promote satanism or blasphemy and that its Halloween parade has been family-oriented since it began in 2011.

The parade has featured characters drawn from pop culture, movies, literature and Philippine television, attracting cosplay participants and fans from Baguio and elsewhere in the country, the organizers said.

This year’s parade is scheduled for Oct. 25 along Session Road, followed by a program at People’s Park featuring a costume contest and trick-or-treat activity for children, according to the release.

Corpuz also said the phrase “turn Baguio into a horror capital,” used on the festival’s website and social media accounts, was a literary and marketing expression rather than a formal proposal for the city to adopt such a designation.

He said organizers were willing to modify the branding.

Other festival supporters similarly expressed willingness to avoid overly graphic or bloody imagery and make the event more wholesome while retaining creative activities for families, children and participants.

Some school administrators and other participants at the dialogue raised concerns about the possible psychological and emotional effects of graphic or gory imagery on young people.

Others argued that public activities should support character formation and avoid normalizing imagery involving death, demons and other negative themes.

Alternative concepts suggested during the discussion included a festival of light, a lantern parade and a character and creativity festival.

Engr. Isabelo “Poppo” Cosalan, former city councilor and author of the Character City Ordinance, urged the parties to work toward conditions acceptable to those involved and consistent with Baguio’s stated vision of being livable, inclusive and creative.

Venus Tan, former Department of Tourism-Cordillera regional director and co-chairperson of the Creative Baguio City Council, also called for reconsideration of the “horror capital” branding while maintaining the city’s creative identity.

Weygan said the issue should not become a conflict between the creative and religious sectors.

He said the city should consider possible modifications while respecting the rights and views of those involved.

The City Council is scheduled to hold its forum on Sept. 21 to further examine the petition, the organizers’ position and possible measures concerning the proposed Oct. 25 Halloween parade.