LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Dubbed the “Strawberry Capital,” this premier producer of strawberries is the best place to hold a festival that brings together thousands of visitors and residents to enjoy activities and entertainment, display booths, ethnic food and, of course, scrumptious strawberry treats of all kinds—in shortcakes, wines, ice cream, as well as farm-fresh berries themselves.

The festival, which started in 2002, grows each year and manages to keep its small-town flavor while boasting of thousands of visitors each year.

The festival will open on March 14 this year and will run until March 24.

La Trinidad town, approximately 245 kilometers north of Manila, is the Guinness Book of World Records holder in 2005 for the “Biggest Strawberry Shortcake” ever baked. The shortcake measured 8.75 feet in width, 12.3 feet in length and 8.4 feet in height.

Although the public will miss the giant strawberry cake this year, La Trinidad Mayor Artemio Galwan said the focus of festivities will be the wide variety of strawberry food and products.

“We aim to make the event bigger and better every year. We wanted to make it a world-renowned festival,” Galwan proudly said.

According to 2006 statistics from the Provincial Agriculturist Office, the volume of strawberry production was 1,548 metric tons in the town’s 108 hectares of strawberry plantations.

Galwan said an audio-visual presentation throughout the 10-day festival will give tribute to the local people behind the baking of the largest strawberry shortcake.

“We are going to showcase all strawberry-related products. We assure [the public] that the pleasures of the coming summer are celebrated with ‘berry’ wonderful strawberry-filled and inspired treats,” Galwan said.

Regional Director Purificacion Molintas of the Department of Tourism is very optimistic that the different activities lined up for the festival will lure more local and foreign tourists this year.

“We aim to draw more tourists to come and celebrate the strawberry festival with the local residents and farmers,” Molintas said.

Besides the array of strawberry products, this year’s festival activities include an agroindustrial trade fair, street dancing, strawberry picking, farm tours, cultural shows, a cooking seminar and the Miss 2008 Strawberry Festival Pageant. There will also be competitions for the best strawberry festival mascot, strawberry festival hymn and strawberry festival logo.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap will be the guest of honor of the main program.

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MEMBERS of the Senate foreign relations committee will be asked to concur in or reject a full committee report recommending conditional concurrence with the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa).

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LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Dubbed the “Strawberry Capital,” this premier producer of strawberries is the best place to hold a festival that brings together thousands of visitors and residents to enjoy activities and entertainment,

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THE government has opposed a motion filed by former Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo seeking the reduction of the P40,000 bail set by the Second Division of the Sandiganbayan in an arbitrary, detention case filed against her by the Office of the Ombudsman.

ISABELA CITY, Basilan—The widows of Basilan congressman Wahab Akbar, suspected to have been assasinated by a political rival, have expressed deep worry the trial of already-known suspects may be derailed or diluted by political influence. They are thus calling for a speedy trial.