LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- In celebration of the Strawberry festival this year, a parade of floats has been arranged to be displayed on the streets of the town Friday, March 20.
Valred Olsim, Municipal Tourism Officer of the Valley, said there will be 16 floats coming from the various barangays of the valley as well as two private companies that have agreed to take part in the festivities.
Halsema Highway will once again be closed to traffic to give way for the float parade.
In La Trinidad, Barangay Bahong is considered as the center of the local cut-flower industry in this part of Benguet with cut-flower-producing barangays of this town, such as Ambiong and Alno.
Almost 60 percent of the revenue is from cut flower production, while 20 percent is from vegetable production, and the remaining 10 percent is from strawberry production.
Farmers' plant flowers three and one half to four months before the peak seasons like Valentine's Day, All Saints' Day, and Christmas Day.
Growers supply flowers in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, and Bicol Region.
Olsim said to continue the tradition of the Strawberry weddings, a renewal of vows took place Thursday morning at the municipal park grounds.
A select group of six couples renewed their wedding vows as well as celebrate the years of their marriage in tune with the municipal festival.
The tradition of the Rose Wedding started in 2012 where couples got married in civil rights officiated by the chief executive.
The Rose Wedding has been a tradition for the past three years, aiming to give couples who opt to get married civilly during the height of the festival a special ceremony, providing a new innovation to the annual festival.
The tribute wedding gives highlight to the Valley’s flower production as well being one of the integral industries that make economic progress for the municipality aside from strawberries.