Sagada hosts 3rd Pine Tree Festival

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain  Province -- The Third Pine Tree Festival shall be held in the tourist town of Sagada with exciting and educational activities to go with it December 13-14 at Saint Mary School gymnasium.

An early morning bike run and a parade shall start the program followed by the message of the two- day festival by elder Walsiyen Gaongen of Sagada.

A photography contest, cultural dance competition, song writing and essay writing contest, on the spot poster making, and poem writing from participating secondary school students of the 12 districts of Mountain Province shall be conducted.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Manuel Pogeyed shall deliver a seminar on cultural- environmental practises.

Dr Michael Bengwayan, festival organizer and  director of the sponsoring organization, Cordillera Ecological Center; and entomologist Bony Ligat of the  Benguet State University shall conduct a farmers’ consultation.

A concert for a cause for student financial assistance shall see performance from local talents of Mountain Province evening of Dec. 14.

The two-day activity is preliminarily held with a journalism training seminar attended by high school student writers and tree planting Nov. 18-19.

A medical and dental mission shall be held Dec. 12 at Antadao, Sagada by attending members of the Benguet Dental Chapter and the rural health unit of the local government of Sagada. 

The 1st Pine Tree Festival was held at Benguet State University December 18 with a regional wide participation and the second also at La Trinidad, Benguet with similar activities to celebrate the economic, social, cultural and environmental significance of the pine tree.

The event is made possible with donors from members of A Tree A Day (ATAD) and cooperation of  Saint Mary School, Municipality of Sagada, Benguet Dental Chapter and the Department of Education-Mountain Province.