The City Government of Tagum welcomes Tagumenyos to the Mindanao Floriculture Congress 2023 with the theme, “Re-connect with Nature, Embrace Floriculture.” The Co-Chairperson of Tagum Tourism Council, Ms. Alma L. Uy, together with the Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture Region XI, Abel James Monteagudo, the Former Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture, Evelyn Laviña, and the President of Tagum City Garden Club, Carol Delos Reyes, led the ribbon cutting to officially open the said congress at the Tagum City Hall Avenida.
The ribbon cutting headed by Ms. Alma L. Uy, Mr. Abel James Monteagudo, Ms. Evelyn Laviña, and Ms. Carol Delos Reyes, at the entrance of the Floriculture Congress Exhibit. Photo credits: CIO Tagum
This event is spearheaded by the Tagum City Tourism Council, together with Culture and Arts Council Inc., and Tagum City Garden Club (TCGC) with the goal in mind of reviving the rich floriculture industry of the region and in the country by gathering plant enthusiasts and plant organizations from all over Mindanao.
The festival is set to run until December 3, 2023, with various activities that will spark the interest of plant lovers. Located at the Tagum City Hall Avenida is the Plant Exhibit and Sale where a row of 60 exhibitors from different regions of Mindanao displayed new species and hybrids of indigenous plants.
Various hybrid and species of plants displayed for sale at the City Hall Avenida. Photo credits: CIO Tagum
One of the anticipated events of the festival is the Plant Competition on November 25 which features the best of the plants from various categories of Fern, Philodendron, Aglaonema, Anthurium Foliage, Flowering, Variegated, Bonsai, Cacti, and Succulents.
Additionally, this will not only showcase the local plants of Mindanao, but also aim to educate the public through Skills Training/Workshops on Bonsai, Flower Arrangement, Asexual Propagation Methods (Grafting), and a Basic Lecture on Landscapes. This also encourages the amateur and the students from technical and vocational schools for them to be equipped, and have an additional source of income in the future.
This week-long celebration of the floriculture industry in Tagum City is only the beginning of an even bigger event next year, which is the International Floriculture Congress 2024. The continuous support of the City Government of Tagum to the floriculture industry of the city will further develop the community of the local gardeners, as well as promote the abundant culture and tradition internationally.
MARIA MILLEN URSAGA
Writer/CIO Tagum