LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, — The provincial government of Benguet and the Department of Tourism – Cordillera (DOT-CAR) recently opened the newest trade and tourism attraction in the province.
Provincial officials headed by Gov. Crescencio Pacalso and DOT-CAR Regional Director Marie Venus Tan held the ribbon cutting and blessing of the Benguet Agri-Tourism and Cultural Village at the Benguet Sports Center in Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet last week.
Pacalso said the new attraction is part of Benguet’s way to complement the tourism industry of Baguio City while rediscovering the rich history, culture, arts, trade and industries of the province.
The Benguet Agri-Tourism and Cultural Village is the old agri-tourism trade fair booths from last year’s Adivay Festival celebration. The 13 municipalities built their own native huts and were improved into better booths which feature the beauty and grandeur of Benguet.
All the province’s 13 towns have their respective booths featuring local agricultural produce and processed products, crafts and indigenous products with agri-tourism landscape and garden show.
Aside from tourism promotion, the village is also seen as a pasalubong center of the province where the towns can display their products such as their own One-Town-One-Products (OTOPs).
The Cultural village is open daily. The Benguet Provincial Tourism Office also has given each municipality three days every week starting February 24 to May 21 to have their own activities which feature their culture and traditions, including their rituals, lifestyle and other highlights of their respective municipalities.
Benguet Tourism Officer Claire Prudencio shared that they thought of making the booths into something to help municipalities to display their product and to showcase their culture so they transformed it. She added that these also serve as information centers of municipalities.
Pacalso said the idea was bolstered by the DOT-CAR as a tourist come-on for the province especially with the coming holidays and summer season
Tan said the DOT will also include the cultural village in the itinerary of tourists who visit Baguio even after the Panagbenga festival. This is to help in the promotion of Benguet and its municipalities in their tourism industries.**JDP/RMC, V. Martin & A. Martinez- PIA-CAR/ Interns
