By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
Yes, Virginia there is really such a thing as Highland Vegetable Festival. You haven’t heard of it yet?
In fact, the festival is already in its fifth edition, starting in 2018. It was suspended only in 2020 during the start of the COVID 19 pandemic when everyone was in the dark as to what was happening, and how we can cope with it. We were forced to be closeted in our abodes.
It did not get off the ground flying unlike the Panagbenga Festival or the Strawberry Festival. It was timidly, unobtrusively celebrated. Why? There was no media coverage, and it was held at a time when the rainy season had already set in. Maybe, it was also due to the reality that it was not run initially by a professional group but only by the management of the Benguet AgriPinoy Trading Center helped by a well-intentioned and eager association of lessees/traders.
And more importantly, there was no budget allocated by the government in the first place for the Festival’s grander celebration. It should be no wonder then why the Festival was not in most people’s consciousness.
While Baguio became the center of commerce, and an education hub in the entire Northern Luzon, it didn’t have enough space for agricultural production. It isn’t also difficult to understand why the city is renowned for strawberry, highland vegetables, and soft brooms. It is because of commerce and education.
Even earlier, the city was also known for everlasting when the dear flower was still the favorite souvenir item by tourists, and strawberry was not yet well known. (Where have the everlasting flowers gone?). The irony is that, those mentioned crops were not produced in the city.
The municipality of La Trinidad was the major producer of everlasting, strawberry (even now) and highland vegetables before other Benguet municipalities such as Buguias, Atok, Kibungan, Bakun and others decided that they can also produce the same vegetables. Remember, La Trinidad was still considered as the salad bowl of the Philippines up to the 1970s.
La Trinidad is an older settlement than Baguio. It even served as the capital of La Union when that province was carved out of the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and the then Mountain Province (Benguet was still one of its sub-provinces). Baguio became more popular only during the American time when it was developed initially as a sanatorium for the Americans and other expatriates. Quickly, it boomed much faster than any place in the Cordillera. Its physiography is much better than the rest of the region, and it is more ideally located, vis-à-vis the lowland centers of power and economic activities. Needless to say, Baguio became the economic and social epicenter of the region, supplanting La Trinidad. And of course, tourism became a staple for the city.
That is the backdrop why the Highland Vegetable Festival was enthusiastically initiated by the then COO of the Center, Dr. Viloteta Salda, in close coordination with the Cordillera Trading Post Traders Association (CTPTA), headed by Ms. Elsie Gis-it. Ms. Gis-it is currently the Vice Pres of Highland Vegetable Festival Stakeholder’s Association. The two energetic and forward-looking ladies spearheaded the brainstorming and realization of the first Festival in 2018.
The holding of the Festival was supposed to be timed in the month of June when the CTPTA members were prevailed upon by Dr. V. Salda to transfer from The Trading Post, beside the municipal building, to BAPTC. The fifth festival this year was held instead from Sept 20-22 due to the continuous occurrences of typhoons /, starting the month of June.
The first day was graced by Benguet Gov. Melchor Diclas, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, and BSU Pres., Dr. Felipe S. Comila. The Guest of Honor was Pres. Ferdinand R.Marcos Jr. in his capacity as also the DA Sec but he was not around. He was represented by Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan, the OIC Regional Executive Director of DA-CAR.
For the last and third day, Benguet Rep Eric G. Yap was the Guest Speaker.
Gov. Diclas reiterated the Provincial Ordinance approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last year, 2022 that the provincial government will allocate a budget for the 6th edition of the Festival. Let’s wait for a better, more enticing Festival then next year.
Mayor Salda and Pres, Comila congratulated, the BAPTC management, headed by COO Dr. Norma P. Banania and the Highland Vegetable Festival Stakeholder’s Association, headed de facto by MS E. Gis-it, for continuing the Festival. I was not around when the two officials delivered their messages, but am sure they offered some kind of help for the farmers and the traders, the truckers and other stakeholders based on my casual talk with participants.
I must also commend BAPT management and the Association for unselfishly shelling out their own financial resources, as they have been doing the last four editions, just so the event will push thru. Salute to you all. They are showing that we should not always rely on total government’s financial help in this kind of activities
It seems that Congressman Yap is also bent on helping BAPTC and its stakeholders as he talked about making the existing Processing building within the premises of the Center, functional by providing some budgetary help. Additionally, he talked of making the vegetable refuse generated in the Center become a fertilizer for use by farmers. The health conditions of the stakeholders, particularly the lessees and farmers, and so with the indigents, are also a priority in his course of actions.
Ms. Gis-it was so emphatic about why they actually initiated the Festival. It is to tell the whole world that most highland vegetables are produced in the province of Benguet. It is for promotion purposes therefore. It is also to show, she added,” that people of the province are humble, hardworking, and do not rely on ayuda. It is self-help first and foremost.” Along with this, she mentioned that they would like also to recognize the farmers in a way, by giving them tokens. She was elated that the province will provide funds for the next edition.
One can also take notice of how Dr. Banania was everywhere doing her best to make the Festival successful. And that BAPTC concerns are taken care of properly.
Incidentally, the president of BAPTC Trucker’s and Trader’s Association, Mr. Alejandre “Tong” Monteflor, poured out some of his concerns related to parking, traffic, and presence of other small “Trading Posts” in La Trinidad during an informal discussion. He was telling that parking is taking longer than necessary within the Center’s premises. For one he lamented the fact that the truckers sometimes have to travel to the Backfill Trading Post to fill up their 20-tonner trucks. This is because many farmers are not unloading their produce in BAPTC. For this they need smaller trucks to go there, entailing additional capitalization and extended parking time..
I don’t know if such private Trading Post is monitored by the authorities. I heard they are not..
Also Traffic going out is a problem. According to him, sometimes, it takes them one hour just to reach the national highway in km 5 when they get out between 10-11 am. He is suggesting that truckers should have a dedicated lane so they could deliver their goods in Manila on time. A 1-2 hour delay of delivery he said will cost them substantial losses. Maybe his suggestion is in order.
Parking space inside and outside BAPTC is also getting tighter and tighter due to outsiders not involved in veggie delivery or procurement, are squeezing in. This causes difficulties for bonafide stakebolders, he said.
Baguio city is also imposing a truck ban at certain times of the day, making them unable to meet their scheduled delivery of veggies in Manila. Calling for authorities to do something.
