Benguet gears for Adivay Festival
October 27, 2014
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – – The province of Benguet is all set for the Adivay Festival in line with the province’s 114th founding anniversary celebration in November.
This year’s theme is “On ASEAN Integration: Benguet faces its challenges and grasps the opportunities”, which is anchored on regional economic integration by 2015.
The ASEAN Integration will accordingly lead to the freer flow of goods, services, investment and skilled labour in the Southeast Asia region with the likely emergence of opportunities for growth and prosperity in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
“We believe that the province is very much prepared for the ASEAN integration,” Governor Nestor Fongwan said during the Kapihan sa Benguet on October 23 launching the month-long event.
There will be challenges, there will be more opportunities, according to Fongwan.
He cited as an example opportunity for trading of temperate vegetables like cauliflower, cabbages, carrots having bright future in the ASEAN market.
These vegetable produce along with other products found across municipalities will be showcased in the Agro-Trade Tourism Fair during the month-long Adivay.
A challenge he said is the improvement of postharvest facilities in order for these products to reach the high end market. This is seen to be addressed in part with the ongoing construction of the four-hectare Agri-Pinoy, a state-of-the art trading, processing and marketing facility located at the strawberry fields of the town. This will link the farmers produce to the high end market.
Other highlights of the Adivay festival are trade fair, jobs fair, skills fair and competition, artscape competition, cooperative convention, environmental forum, Children’s Day, Diskwento Caravan, Dongba ni Kavajo, mass wedding, and sports events./JDP/SCA-PIA CAR/Benguet
