Lubao International Balloon Festival 2016: Interview with Mayor Mylyn Pineda Cayabyab

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We had a short interview with Lubao, Pampanga Mayor Mylyn Pineda Cayabyab during the first day of the Lubao International Balloon Festival. We intentionally made it short as we can see how the mayor was extremely busy personally seeing to it that everything goes well for the 3rd run of the hot air balloon festival.

We even mistook her as one of the security heads as she was wearing a blue outfit while giving instructions to people. Unlike the others wearing a brown version of the outfit, she was more hands-on and totally immersed on the responsibilities. We don't usually see that kind of commitment with other government officials of her same level of office.

Maybe because the event is practically theirs to begin with as the venue itself is owned by their family. Pradera Verde, where the wakepark, villas and a golf course, plus an upcoming waterpark, is owned by their family.

However, we have to commend the Pineda clan for putting Lubao, Pampanga in the map for holding one of the much awaited event every April. There may be another hot air balloon event being held at Clark but they boast of being the biggest hot air balloon festival in Southeast Asia.

Pradera Verde located at Prado Siongco here in Lubao Pampanga is a 350 hectare property and currently only 34 hectares are in use. This means more developments are possible with the property. This makes me wonder what other attractions will soon rise from the place. Could this area be the next Disneyland of the Philippines? Why not?

Lubao International Balloon Festival 2016: Hot Air Balloon Night Glow at First Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The hot air balloon night glow is a traditional activity done at every end of the day during the hot air balloon events showing how beautiful the hot air balloons are even during night time.It is often held as a climax to a hot air balloon festival. Usually it is done before the night concert but for this year at the 2016 Lubao International Balloon Festival, the organizers decided to have the night glow after the concert.

Actually, there would have never been a night glow due to the fact that the wind was blowing at dangerous levels - dangerous for the balloons to be side by side to each other as they would result to disaster - so they opted to have just one hot air balloon lit just to please the crowd that night.

The night glow activity thus presented just one hot air balloon, the SM from both Philippines and Belgium by Jonas Van Doorsselaere. However, there were other balloonists who just lit their "flames" to come out with a very interesting routine. I don't really know how to explain it, but you can see from the video below what I mean.

The wacky thing is that even before the concert was even finish, the hot air balloon was already being playful as if trying to be in sync with the music of True Faith, the local band performing that night. The band was even telling the crowd that the hot air balloon night glow would not start unless they give out a loud cheer.

Lubao International Balloon Festival 2016: Interview with Hot Air Balloon Pilots

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Hot air balloons from all over the world gathered together again for the third time at the Pradera Verde property located at Barangay Prado Siongco of Lubao, Pampanga to participate in the Lubao International Balloon Festival.

We ad the opportunity to interview a few hot air balloon pilots or ballonists before and after the actual balloon flights during the first day of the event on April 14, 2016. The #LubaoIBF2016 is a four day event happening from April 14 until April 17, 2016.

As expected, thousands of people from all over the country, and even from some parts of the world, could be seen admiring the colorful view of 40 hot air balloons all seen together as they are inflated and one by one flew up into the Pampanga sky.

I am one of the fortunate ones to get a chance to fly high up into the clouds aboard a hot air balloon thanks to the Ultra Magic hot air balloon from Spain flown by Jordi Diaz. It was my first time to ride a hot air balloon so that's another item checked off my bucket list. But I would tell the story of my hot air balloon ride on a separate article soon.

For now, I would want to share the different interviews we made during the first day of the event. We flew on a hot air balloon on the second day and spent the first day ogling on the various hot air balloons and messing around with the pilots while they take their breaks at the VIP area. Lol!

Below are a few of the interviews we made so enjoy: