Debunking statement about La Trinidad’s strawberries
The statement of Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong during a top-level meeting with national officials that the famous strawberries of La Trinidad, Benguet grow on water from Baguio’s cesspool as published in the Philippine Star on Jan. 14 is not true.
The strawberry fields in the swamp area is far from the Balili River and it is not used to irrigate the crops as pointed out by La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda.
The source of water to irrigate the strawberry farms is from the Pico and Puguis creek which flows through Betag before reaching the fields. Along the way are several houses and business establishments that discharge their wastes into the canals that lead to the fields making the water dirty.
A deep well and a sewerage treatment plant have previously been installed at the area but these are not functional due to technicalities and costs. Directly tapping water from the source of the creek with pipelines and large reservoirs is an operational irrigation system that could provide adequate clean water to irrigate strawberries which are safe to eat fresh. — PERCIVAL B. ALIPIT, Baguio City