City adds two more activities for 2022 Saleng Festival

 The Baguio City Council has approved the request of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) to implement two more activities for the celebration of the 2022 Saleng (Pine Tree) Festival.

    These two activities are the Forest Products Week and the Green Business Expo.

    The Forest Products Week aims to “recognize the importance of the forests by showcasing the wood and non-wood products and  by highlighting their environmental value over alternative materials.” Meanwhile, the Green Business Expo with the theme “Towards a Greener Entrepreneurship”seeks to promote businesses that are environment-friendly.

    These two activities will be held at Igorot Park and Melvin Jones, respectively, from June 5 2022 to July 5, 2022.

    Earlier this year, the city council institutionalized the Saleng Festival in the City of Baguio through an ordinance.

    The Saleng Festival shall take off during the fourth regular Monday flag-raising ceremony in the month of May of every year to unveil the calendar of activities for the four-month long celebration from June to September of each year.

    The launching is also in support of the International Day for Biological Diversity which is celebrated every 22nd day of May of each year.

    The ordinance was crafted based on the program presented and implemented by the CEPMO together with the inputs of stakeholders during a public consultation conducted by the city council.

    Included in the calendar of activities of the festival are: Tree Cart Parade, Tree Cart Exhibit, Recognition and Awarding of Best Tree Cart, International Day for Biological Diversity, World Environment Day and Philippine Environment Month, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Day National Arbor, National Clean-Up Month and World Clean and Green Week, Green Thumb Awards, and Cycling for the Environment, among others.

    An amount of P200,000.00 is allocated in the annual budget of the CEPMO to cover all budgetary requirements for the purpose. 

    According to the ordinance, the institutionalization of the Saleng Festival shall encourage Baguio citizens to be proactive partners of the city government in its urban forest stewardship management program, thereby building community ownership of urban trees and forests. 

    The very first Saleng Festival was launched on May 24, 2021 with the theme ‘Restoring our Ecosystem Together.’ According to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the Saleng Festival was brought into existence to highlight the importance of the cooperation and commitment of the community in preserving the environment. -Jordan G. Habbiling