AFTER La Trinidad’s Coffee Festival, Strawberry Festival, Tourism Week, and the town’s Foundation Day, one may think that the Municipality of La Trinidad should have had enough of its various major town activities. But, nope. Pursuant to Municipal Ordinance No. 31-2018, or the La Trinidad Highland Vegetable Industry Week Ordinance, the municipality is mandated to celebrate the Highland Vegetable Industry Week every second week of July to promote and give tribute to the teeming highland vegetable industry which our town is fortunate enough to have.
For said celebration on July 10 to 12, 2019 at the municipal gym, the municipality will organize activities, which will serve as avenues to promote the agriculture industry of the town, particularly the primary product of highland vegetables, and to recognize the role of the vegetable industry in the development of our town. The activities shall include the following; a program and a forum for vegetable industry stakeholders which will orient them of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the importance of the highland vegetable industry; various vegetable-related contests to encourage appreciation of the industry while promoting creativity (agro-booth, vegetable carving, vegetable dish competition, etc.) ; and a private-led event which will showcase the vegetable salad that is traditionally served during the anniversary of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post.
These activities are very much in consonance with the provisions of the Farm Tourism Act of 2016, which promotes agriculture and tourism as primary economic engines for sustainable development. They are likewise supported by our various local policies which highlight the importance of the vegetable industry to the lives of the La Trinidad People. Undeniably, with two major vegetable trading facilities (LTVTP and BAPTC), and an agricultural-based economy, La Trinidad has all the right to celebrate the first ever “Highland Vegetable Week” in the country.
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We thought that after our cheap stage of teenage existential angst, we can finally move up against the abyss to the brighter side. From time to time, however, especially in the hovering of death, meaninglessness of existence creeps to haunt us – is that all what there is to it? Is it worth it? They say these thoughts are symptoms to a mental disease, a silent plea for help. But, I am sure that all of us have that: the self in us that asks why, or what, or how come, the self that loathes the boredom of human routine, the self that sees human cruelty and decides that humans are a threat not only to other humans, but also to this beautiful world, the self that asks for meaning and purpose.
But, for those who are having the same thoughts, please look out in your window and find the most fascinating thing that you consider when you were a kid – perhaps, the tree, the mountain, the car, maybe the busy city. Turn on your favorite music or sing the most wonderful song that was etched in your heart, read your favorite book, talk to your most trusted friend or family member. Regardless of the challenges and complexities of life, we are still privileged enough to exist – to see, to feel. The world is still beautiful, most especially because we are on it.