A mayor from Guam said their sisterhood ties with the municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet yielded to the island producing its own strawberries.
Mayor Mellisa Savares of Dededo, Guamsaid they are impressed with the agriculture industry in La Trinidad.
Savares said farmers in Guam have started growing strawberriesfrom the seedlings they brought back home from La Trinidad in 2016.
“We have actually started growing strawberries, and because our climate is a little bit warmer and we do not produce like the way here in La Trinidad, we’ve made adjustments,” she said.
Savares said Guam farmers have planted in shaded areas and that they are still propagating the strawberries to supply the whole community. She said they are applying the practices they have adapted in La Trinidad and adjust it to work in their various towns or villages.
When agriculture officials from La Trinidad visited Dededo, they were assisted in terms of adjustments considering the difference in climate of both countries and places, theirs being warmer and Benguet’s temperature being colder, allowing one farm to grow enough to be shared with the other farms.
Savares also talked about the important activities of the town and Benguet province on the sustainability of food resources as well as non-food agriculture such as the cut flower industry in the province, which supplies the country, that benefits the economy and helps the people.
Moreover, Savares appreciated the sense of cultural preservation in the capital town of Benguet.
“Especially all the works that the different barangays did and the schools, in presenting their culture during the different presentations; they really depicted the preservation of their culture,” Savares said after witnessing the street dancing, cultural presentation and mini-float parade on March 16.
Savares with other executives from Guam: Mayors Paul McDonald of Agana Heights, Kevin Susuico of Hagat, and Anthony Chargualaf Jr. of Inalahan with Vice Mayors Albert Toves from Tamuning and Jessie Bautista from Barrigada joined the highlight of the 48th Strawberry Festival of the town.
Aside from La Trinidad, other municipalities in Guam also have sisterhood ties in Sablan and Kapangan towns in Benguet. – Ofelia C. Empian
