CLARK Freeport, Pampanga -- The yearly colorful, head-raising Clark Hot Air Balloon Fiesta kicked off yesterday at the aviation field here with  over 100,000 tourists watching til Sunday.

The organizers of the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) are expecting a significant increase in the number of spectators and balloons participating in the 17th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

Clark Development Corporation (CDC) Tourism and Promotions head Noemi Garcia said at least nine countries are expected to participate in this year’s event.

Garcia said more balloons from a larger number of countries are expected to participate as compared to last year. She said additional exhibitions and more varied aerial demonstrations will highlight the festivity.

For the past 16 years, PIHABF has been an extremely successful event that attracts thousands of spectators both local and international. Aside from the display of a plethora of multi-colored hot air balloons, the festival also features a number of expedition events such as skydiving, flag jumps, micro-light aircraft and rocketry demonstrations, small plane fly-bys and fly-ins, remote-control airplane and helicopter flying exhibitions, freestyle aerobatics, precision maneuvers, light airplane balloon bursting, ultra-light flying formation and bomb dropping, kite-making and choreographed kite-flying, hi-start launch gliding, pylon racing, banner towing, aero-modeling symposium and races between ultra lights and motorcycles.

This year’s event is not just a simple air show of multicolored hot air balloons with amazing designs and incredible shapes but the balloons will represent the uniqueness of each of the participating countries in some way.