In 1991 the Philippines suffered huge losses caused by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo on the island of Luzon. In total, 2.1 million people were affected by the eruption, total losses in 1991 were estimated at 10.6 billion pesos. Of course, the tourism industry suffered from the eruption, too. Several festivals were created to jump-start the local economy and to rise up from the devastation of the catastrophe. They include the Panangbenga Festival in Baguio and the hot air balloon festival in Angeles City.
The first edition of the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta was held in 1994. It was organized by the country’s Department of Tourism, British Airways, the Clark Development Corporation, and the Hot Air Balloon Club. The festival featured 21 balloon pilots from 10 countries. The inaugural show was a success, so the festival became an annual affair. Its program expanded to include other activities such as kite flying, hand gliding, paragliding, sky diving, and aerobatic stunts and precision maneuvers.
The festival was canceled in 1999 due to financial difficulties, but was revived in 2000 with an air rally which became one of the festival’s highlights. In 2003, special shape balloons were featured for the first time. True to its international title, the festival welcomed participants from the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is one of the world’s largest hot air balloon festivals. It features more than a hundred balloon pilots from different countries, attracting about 60,000 visitors from all over the Philippines and abroad. The event is held in Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City, Pampanga.
The program of the festival inclues hot air balloon ascensions and rides as well as other activities such as kite flying, chase crew & off-road driving, aerobatic exhibitions, microlight and ultralight flying, powered paragliding, tandem paragliding, skydiving, gliding, general aviation formation flying, general aviation balloon bursting, radio controlled aircraft, search & rescue flight demonstrations, and more.
Photo by Artgie Lopez
