Vegetable traders send aid to Cagayan Valley flood victims

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines — Local vegetable traders have pooled resources to help victims of the widespread flooding in Cagayan Valley, donating P300,000 worth of relief goods.

“Even if we also suffered from the previous typhoons, especially our farmers, we are grateful that we have food and shelter unlike our ‘kababayan’ in Cagayan,” said Nora Ganase, president of the League of Associations at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post.

It took the group three days to gather the money for the donation drive, which, Ganase said, was their way of giving thanks in time for the celebration of Benguet province’s founding anniversary.

A 10-wheel truck left here on Monday, carrying boxes of instant food items and drinking water for five villages in Baggao town, Cagayan province.T

he league initially intended to give a truckload of vegetables to the flood survivors, but it would take 12 hours to deliver them to Cagayan.

Benguet has a shortage of vegetables from the farms due to the onslaught of recent Typhoons “Rolly” (international name: Goni) and “Ulysses” (Vamco).On Monday, Benguet celebrated the Adivay Festival and the establishment of its civilian government in 1900. Adivay (or coming together in Ibaloy) is an annual fest in this capital town that gathers people from across the province to attend the grand celebration ritual called “cañao” or “peshit.”

The provincial government celebrated an ecumenical Mass, followed by a program attended by 100 officials and government employees.

“We cannot be celebrating amid the pandemic and recent calamities that hit our people. In time, we will recover, as we have always done and celebrate an even grander festival,” said Gov. Melchor Diclas.

—Karlston Lapniten