LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The province’ capital is embarking on a journey towards marketing its top products and catapulting itself into a bustling center of activity.
Known for its blooms, produce and berries, La Trinidad is being marketed to be a top producer and supplier of fresh goods, supplying the nation of its products.
The town’s lush berries has stamped its recognition with a Guinness World record for the largest strawberry cake in 2005 and is known to have a thriving vegetable and strawberry producing town.
The Strawberry fields in Betag, Poblacion, Puguis and Pico provide the region with the produce all year round with an estimated 1,908 strawberry farmers in the valley.
Mayor Edna Tabanda said plans to grow strawberries all year round will be taken up by the Department of Science and Technology, Benguet State University and the Department of Agriculture to be able to market the product to a wider reach and a longer period not confined to the 6 months it has now.
Tabanda said efforts to improve marketing and packaging of the berries is also underway to attract more investors into the Valley’s top products.
Flowers in the Valley have also taken center stage with its blooms adorning both the Baguio Flower Festival as well as the recently concluded Strawberry Festival.
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 such as Ambiong and Alno.
A steady supply of flowers comes from cut flower farmers especially during the flower festival season where the demand increases.
Tabanda said studies to make scents out of the blooms are underway to be able to fully utilize the products of the Valley to its fullest, going into full gear into tapping its resources.
The project, in coordination with the Department of Tourism-Cordillera, is in Bahong where dried flowers will be highlighted to be able to make full use of the local blooms and empower communities which focus on cut flower farming.
The DOT lauded efforts of the Valley to create eco tourism destinations, continuing to improve on agro-tourism programs which advance development of the tourism potentials.
A project at Stonehill aims to beautify the area with murals designed by local artists and painted by the community will adorn homes along the mountain side to give the area a fresh and clean look.
Tan is backed by the support of Davies paints and the Tam–Awan Village Artist Group for the painting of homes which line the mountain of the Valley.
The projects lined up for the town, makes use of its strengths and potentials, tapping what is available as well as what can be developed, making the Valley, a town to look out for.