The agri trade fair, one of the most awaited activities during the foundational day of Benguet and Adivay Festival, has opened in La Trinidad, featuring various products from the 13 towns displayed in booths.
Gov. Melchor Diclas led the opening program and ribbon-cutting on Nov. 16 with Atok-based Tayao Farms operator Mirafel Tayao-Afuyog as guest speaker.
The well-decorated booths were made up to replicate traditional huts, which showcased the “one town, one product” and other products of the municipalities, as well as their tourism sites.
Revelers go through the huts, in two parallel lines, making it look like a village amidst the row of cars parked in Wangal, La Trinidad.
The area has been the site of the 13 booths since 2010, as a means of showcasing the province through the participating towns.
The 13 towns decorated their area according to their one town, one product. Bokod has tilapia as its centerpiece and fresh tilapia is sold at the booth.
The La Trinidad booth is adorned with flowers and strawberry while and Sablan’s booth has fresh banana hanging at the hut and pineapples as part of the landscape.
Diclas said the long-term plan would be to make the municipal booths permanent and make the area into a tourism village.
He said it is up to the local government units if they want to relegate the maintenance of the booths to micro, small, and medium enterprises from their towns as long as their own products would be on display.
He is hopeful they would be able to connect the site as an added tourist attraction in the province.
Each town also presented their respective mascots that best represent their towns during the opening program.
The best booth, landscape, and mascot will also be chosen and announced on Nov. 25 during the agri-fair closing. – Ofelia C. Empian
