Heavy rains did not hamper the celebration of the fruity float parade as one of the highlights of the 9th Sablan Fruit Festival in Sablan, Benguet on Sept. 2.
The floats were designed with a wide variety of fruits such as rambutan, santol, dragon fruit, mangosteen, lanzones, banana, citrus, guava, rattan fruit, cacao, and even vegetables like sayote tops, pechay, among others, along with flowers and leaves for effect.
Featuring the eight barangays of Bagong, Balluay, Banangan, Banengbeng, Bayabas, Kamog, Pappa, and Poblacion, the fruity floats started from the weigh bridge to Palali to the municipal gym where the floats were parked for appreciation of the revelers.
The rains brought by Typhoon Hanna did not dampen the celebratory mood during the main program attended by guests from the local government units led by Gov. Melchor Diclas, Office of the Congressman represented by Charmaine Likigan, Tuba officials led by Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan, councilors from Kabayan, Baguio City and the yearly guests from Sablan’s sister municipality of Agat, Guam led by Mayor Kevin Susuico.
Dacumos has thanked the local government units and agencies for their continued partnership with the municipality in its quest to improve and plant more fruit-bearing trees which it is known for.
Aside from the raw fruits, there is an ongoing effort in pushing for food processing in the municipality as led by various women’s organizations while a women’s organization in Banangan that partnered with Saint Louis University for a food processing venture.
The Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Trade and Industry also have the cacao and coffee processing to help the town’s entrepreneurs and farmers; from the production of the raw materials to its processing and marketing.
The town needs the development of more farm-to-market roads especially at the far-flung sitios as well as building of irrigation.
“Most of our water comes from Banangan, part of the boundary between Sablan and the municipality of La Trinidad. Due to the distance, we need funds for the irrigation so we could be able to maintain our farms,” Dacumos said.
Diclas committed that more farm-to-market roads will be built to support Sablan’s programs on agriculture.
The Sablan Fruit Festival 2023 is with the theme, “Fruits of Harmony: Celebrating Nature’s Symphony”. – Ofelia C. Empian
