In order to get ideas from the academe and civil society groups for the conduct of the annual Strawberry Festival, the local government of La Trinidad, Benguet is discussing to open its planning committee to include other groups.
Mayor Romeo Salda said the inclusion of other non-LGU members to the executive committee is seen to better improve the town’s staging of the festival.
“The academe has a lot of suggestion for the festival and it would be better if they would be officially involved so we could work hand-in-hand with them,” Salda said.
He said they would need to amend the Strawberry Festival ordinance as the present measure only includes the mayor as the chair, vice mayor as co-chair along with the sangguniang bayan chair of the committee on tourism special events with members from all the SB members; Municipal Tourism Council chair and the Municipal Tourism Officer as members of the executive committee.
“As for now, the municipality would handle the events of the upcoming festival,” Salda said.
Meanwhile, the mayor said they have a P1.3 million savings from this year’s conduct of the festival. He said it would be used as a starting budget for the 2020 whole month celebration.
Salda said the biggest budget drawer for the festival would still be the trade fair which usually would draw P5 million in revenue.
He said they will open soon the invitation for the bidding of the trade fair.
As for the strawberry cake, Salda said they would discuss it with the farmers for the supply of strawberries as well as those who would be willing to bake the cake.
Tourism Officer Valred Olsim said they would want the Strawberry Festival to offer more quality activities. He said more discussions would follow for the programs and activities for the biggest festival of the municipality. – Ofelia C. Empian
