1st Fruit festival held

REELING from the devastation of banana bunchy top disease in the 90s that almost destroyed the banana industry in Sablan, this small town in Benguet is slowly picking up the pieces and hopes to remain the fruit basket of the province.

And to live out its well- deserved reputation, Sablan held its first Fruit Festival before residents and Filipino and foreign tourists.

The fifth class municipality used to be the banana capital of the north from the early 80s up to the early 90s but when the banana bunchy top struck, almost all of the banana farmers in the municipality had to stop planting and shifted to other crops.

Even Mayor Arthur Baldo recognized the problem but the town has since recovered and once again ready to showcase the municipality’s its abundant fruit products.

“This festival aims to promote the different variety of fruits in the municipality because earlier we have diseases that affected banana farmers that is

why we are now diversifying and we have urged farmers to plant not only bananas but also tropical fruits,” Baldo stressed.

Aside from sweet and succulent bananas, Sablan is also known for its pineapples, pomelos, guavas, santol, guyabanos, papayas, dalanghita, avocado and other local fruits. Some locals have also started growing mangosteen, marang, lanzones, rambutan and durian.

Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan lauded the organizers of the festival, which he said will help spur economic development and tourism growth in Sablan and nearby towns.

“Ang ginawa nilang ito is for them to advertise and make them known that they also produce quality tropical fruits that is why we have built a demo farm which is 10 hectares because the elevation of Sablan is good for propagation of tropical fruits,” added Fongwan.

Located 21 kilometers from Baguio City, the streets of Sablan burst with colors and flavors as mini floats showcasing the bountiful fruit harvests of local farms paraded around town.

The municipality also produces a large quantity of brooms sold in markets in Baguio City and La Trinidad.

Photos by Larry Fabian FRUIT BASKET OF THE NORTH. Sablan, in a bid to recover its tag as the fruit basket of the province and also to boost its economy and tourism industry, held the first Fruit Festival, September 2. Governor Nestor Fongwan (bottom left photo) shows off a...