Fruity Float Parade is one of the highlights of the Fruit festival celebration of the municipal government of Sablan.
SABLAN, Benguet – – This town is all set for the staging of its 5th Fruit Festival next week.
Mayor Manuel Munar said the three-day event from September 2-4 will feature fresh fruit medley serving for free public savoring.
Fresh fruits such as pomelo, papaya, pineapple, guava, coconut, and rambutan will be served garnished with rare fruits produced in the area such as mabolo, durian, mangosteen, and lanzones. The fruit medley which will be served during the opening program is expected to serve about 800 people like in the previous years, according to Agricultural Technician Arthur Mariano.
The festival will kick off on September 2 with a Eucharistic celebration and a fruity float parade. This will be followed by an opening program at 9:00 am at the Municipal Gym with Governor Melchor Diclas as the guest speaker.
Alongside the opening program will be a canvass painting and poster-making competitions for elementary and high school students at the Municipal Building II.
The Agro-Industrial Trade Fair showcasing the town’s produce and processed products will also open.
In the afternoon will be the search for best quality fruits such as the heaviest banana bunch and jackfruit; sweetest papaya, pomelo, guyabano, and pineapple; and fruit and berries plating competition or the innovative presentation of fruit served in a platter.
A Diskwento Caravan sponsored by one of the popular supermarkets will take place during the three-day period beside the Municipal Hall.
Activities for Sept. 3 include a Farmers Congress. Lectures in the morning will be on citrus production and root crops protection by the Benguet State University and presentation of the Provincial Veterinary Livelihood Program by the Provincial Veterinary Office. The afternoon will be have Office of the Provincial Agriculturist for the presentation the Philippine good agricultural practice followed by an orientation and updates from the office of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
As the congress will serve as a venue for learning, there will be actual presentation of specimen of soil samples and common pests and diseases affecting agricultural produce and how to prevent or combat such.
The last day will be devoted for competitions on ground demonstration among elementary and high school students and out-of-school youth and the civil society organizations, and awarding of winners in the various competitions.
The festival was conceptualized during the term of now Vice Mayor Arthur Baldo as the local chief executive to help promote the fruit industry of the municipality. Sablan is known for its sweet pineapples, and for some years now, the town has been emerging as producer of different fruits such as rambutan, lanzones, gayubano and even durian. It is being primed as the fruit basket of Benguet. (JDP/SCA-PIA-CAR, Benguet)
