SEA OF YELLOW A tourist enjoys the sea of yellow in a sunflower maze in Tayug town, Pangasinan province. RAY ZAMBRANO
Sunflower lovers are in for a big surprise when a sunflower farm in Tayug town, Pangasinan province, opens on Feb. 18.
Not only that the farm has moved to a better and wider location, it will have 10 beautifully designed sunflower mazes, according to its owner, Aaron Paul Peralta. Four of the mazes are box-shaped and two are elliptical.
The farm, called “Sunflower Camp,” also features a bloom field with colorful flowers and a patch of vegetables.
From its site last year at Purok 6 in Barangay C. Lichauco, it now occupies a 2-hectare area in the middle of rice fields at the village’s Purok 4, about 1.5 kilometers away.
It has parking areas that can accommodate 300 cars and buses. A two-story building, which will house the ticketing and other offices, is now being built.
This is the second year for Peralta to create sunflower mazes. The country’s first sunflower maze was built also in Tayug in 2017 by Allied Botanical Corp. (ABC), a seed company.
Last year, after learning that ABC had abandoned the project, Peralta rented a farm and built three sunflower mazes.
“This has become my passion, to plant and work in a farm. Besides, Tayug became known because of the sunflower maze so I decided to make this attraction permanent,” Peralta said.
This year, Sunflower Camp will have villas and a resort for tourists, he said.
“We are now studying what to plant during the rainy season that will attract tourists,” he said, adding that grape- and guava-picking activities would also be offered in an adjacent 2-ha farm.
New Zambales attraction
In San Antonio, Zambales province, travelers have something new to enjoy aside from the town’s beaches and coves.
A sunflower farm called “Blooms and Venoms” has started drawing local and foreign tourists to the 1-ha lot at Sitio Loong in Barangay Luna.
The farm is owned by Edison Maglaya and conceptualized by his brother Brian. It was officially opened to the public last month.
FLOWER FARM A sunflower farm is the newest attraction in San Antonio, Zambales province, which is known for its beaches and coves. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
“On the first wave, between Jan. 5 and Jan. 27, we had welcomed 1,000 visitors” Brian told the Inquirer.
He said tourists would enjoy a scenery of 1,500 “towering and buoyant” sunflowers.
“It is the new best spot to simply stop by. Visitors will be amused by the beauty of sunflower fields. For P50 you can enjoy taking pictures,” said resident Jeanna Chelcea Javier, 25.
For now, the sunflower farm has to close in preparation for the second wave by the second week of February.
GETTING THERE
To reach Tayug from Metro Manila, motorists can take the Carmen exit of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) and drive through Rosales town in Pangasinan to reach Sta. Maria town.
In Sta. Maria, motorists should turn right to the Sta. Maria-San Quintin Road for a 20-minute drive to Barangay C. Lichauco in Tayug, where the Sunflower Camp is located.
To get to San Antonio, take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) then Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) to Iba, Zambales. Drive all the way to San Antonio.
For commuters, take a Victory Liner bus bound for Sta. Cruz or Iba, Zambales, from Pasay, Cubao or Caloocan terminal. Get off at a waiting shed near a slaughterhouse in Barangay Luna in San Antonio.
The trip will take 4 to 5 hours.