BERRY MANY Now that strawberries are being harvested in fields in La Trinidad, Benguet, the main farm that allows tourists to pick berries may soon reopen. —EV ESPIRITU
BAGUIO CITY — A strawberry-shaped walkway would be put up at the strawberry fields of Benguet province’s capital town of La Trinidad to draw more tourists as the province revives its pandemic-stricken economy.
The elevated pathway is part of the new projects being undertaken by the Benguet State University (BSU), which is celebrating its 35th foundation year. BSU is one of the country’s pioneering farm schools.
One of the biggest attractions of La Trinidad Valley, the strawberry fields are where tourists come to pick fresh berries. These remained closed due to local regulations against leisure travel.
But government officials have discussed plans to reopen the fields now that strawberries are in season.
Last year, Benguet lost almost P100 million in revenues when tourism activities stopped due to the Luzon lockdown from March to May and the subsequent quarantine to control the spread of the coronavirus disease.
But Baguio City, which is adjacent to the towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay, had allowed tourists to cross its borders since October. The city has also drawn approximately 27,000 guests from Luzon as of December.
The strawberry farms “got hefty publicity” when candidates of the Miss Universe Philippines pageant toured it on Oct. 25 last year, BSU president Felipe Comila said during a briefing on Thursday.
These farms and the rest of over 60 hectares of berry producing areas of Benguet generate 1,175 metric tons of strawberries annually.
Comila said the proposed elevated walkway would be 2 meters high and would allow people to walk around the vast fields, which also grow salad vegetables for which Benguet is known.
The walkway would be designed to accommodate even physically challenged guests “who will enjoy the visit even during flooded times,” he said. —VINCENT CABREZA