Sablan: A small, lowland town in Benguet is betting on fruit trees to diversify its agriculture, with local officials envisioning Sablan as a major fruit-producing area serving markets from nearby Baguio to Metro Manila. 'We want our residents to be proud when they say they are from Sablan and they produce fruits. We want each household to have at least one fruit-bearing tree in their backyard,' Mayor Alfredo Dacumos Jr. said in an interview Wednesday on the sidelines of the opening of the 12th Sablan Fruit Festival.
According to Philippines News Agency, the municipality began pursuing this goal nearly two decades ago, when local and provincial agriculture officials started experimenting with tropical fruits commonly grown in Mindanao, including mangosteen, marang, lanzones, rambutan, dragon fruit, durian, and sweet pomelo. Sablan, adjacent to La Union, has a warmer lowland climate than most of Benguet but cooler evenings and mornings. Its conditions proved favorable for growing several of the tropical fruits associated with Davao and other parts of Mindanao.
'We just tried it and we were glad they thrived, so we propagated the planting materials,' Benguet Provincial Agriculturist Lolita Bentres said. The trees eventually began producing fruits comparable in quality to those grown in Mindanao. Planting materials were propagated and distributed to barangays, encouraging residents to grow the trees in their backyards. The effort has gradually expanded the town's fruit production. Idle agricultural land has also been planted with fruit-bearing trees. 'We used to just have native guavas, native bananas, regular citrus, santol, and pineapple. But now we are producing fruits popular in Davao,' Dacumos said.
He described the expansion as a blessing made possible by the town's fertile soil and its farmers' efforts. 'Our small town will later become a huge producer of fruits. Slowly but surely, we are getting there, and we are already seeing the gains of what was started over a decade ago,' he said. Dacumos said the next challenge is sustaining the gains and increasing production enough to supply not only Sablan but also markets in Baguio and Benguet, and eventually Metro Manila. He is encouraging households to plant at least one fruit-bearing tree, even as some farmers continue to grow vegetables and rice. The mayor said the fruit industry could become a source of pride for residents while providing an additional livelihood opportunity.
The initiative is also reflected in the town's annual fruit festival, which has grown from a modest celebration featuring a few local fruits into a showcase of a wider range of produce. The 12th edition was held despite more than a month of continuous rains that affected the area. 'More than the celebration, it is a symbol of our determination to rise and move forward together. It is a celebration of our journey, achievement, and blessings that continue to sustain our municipality,' Dacumos said. The festival carries the theme, 'A dozen years of abundance, rooted in tradition, harvesting hope, fruiting prosperity.'
Benguet Gov. Melchor Diclas, in a message read by his executive assistant, described the festival as a testament to Sablan's agricultural potential. 'This is a testament to the sweet soil and spirit of Sablan, a municipality that continues to fill the baskets of Benguet with fruits,' he said. Diclas also cited the province's resilience after typhoons damaged crops, infrastructure, and communities. 'Our province suffered because of the typhoons, tested our mountain slopes, causing heavy damage to crop and infrastructure and communities. Yet look around you today, the fruit trees stand. They bend but they never fall. This resilience is a true mark of Benguet,' he said. He urged residents to encourage young people to pursue agriculture-related courses as the number of farmers declines. Diclas also encouraged the development of an agri-tourism destination in Sablan that would promote both its fruits and the town itself.
Beyond fruit production, the town is also developing cacao and coffee as additional agricultural industries. The festival opening featured a toast using a cacao-based chocolate drink. Dacumos said the municipality's long-term goal is not simply to produce more fruits but to build a sustainable industry that benefits households and strengthens Sablan's position in the regional market. For now, the town's strategy begins with something as simple as a tree in every backyard - a small step toward its ambition of becoming a major fruit basket in Benguet.
