Reviving a tradition

That was the appellation given to San Pedro City, Laguna for decades, largely due to its once-thriving sampaguita plantations and a lucrative industry of making garlands out of the Philippines' national flower.

Sampaguita garlands, or "leis," are a favorite way of greeting distinguished guests and an indelible part of graduation ceremonies, making this industry a quick money-maker for many San Pedronians.

In fact, the city became enshrined in the Guinness Book of World Records in February 2009 for creating the "longest sampaguita garland," which stretched for 2.1 kilometers.

However, decades of industrialization and urbanization had meant that the city's vast sampaguita plantations have given way to residential and commercial complexes.

Many sampaguita garland makers and traders have also passed away or have stopped their once-thriving trade, partly due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In fact, ang kwento nga ng na-invite natin na isang trader, kumita sila dati sa sampaguita dahil maraming mga vendor. Malakas yung business nila, pre-pandemic, kasi alive na alive [ang bentahan],” Engr. King Layola, head of the City Agriculture Office (CAO), told OpinYon Laguna.

“Nung nagka-pandemiya na, kaunti na lang ang bumibili sa kanila at namamakyaw ng butil [ng sampaguita], kasi wala ngang nagtitinda.”

Informal economic driver

Reviving the city’s sampaguita industry is now in the scope of the new leadership at the San Pedro City Hall under Mayor Art Joseph Francis Mercado.

But more than simply reviving an industry, the city government under Mercado believed that bringing back the city’s sampaguita sector is also a revival of the city’s culture and tradition, a tradition that has been threatened by rapid urbanization.

"Actually, yung cultural and traditional aspect na yung hinahanap sa San Pedro City, at iyan ang focus namin sa pagre-revive ng sampaguita industry," Layola said in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.

“Malaki ang naitutulong ng indsutryiang ito sa ating kultura, sa ating tradisyon, at kahit sa ekonomiya natin, kahit na sabihing informal economy ito,” he added.

The reason, Layola said, is because the industry encompasses a wide range of workers – sampaguita growers; pickers, contract buyers; traders; contractors for garland-makers; the garland makers themselves; and finally, the garland vendors.

Growers top priority

One top priority now for the city government is adding new spaces for sampaguita growers to plant their crops – not an easy task on a city that has seen rapid urbanization over the past decade.

In fact, Layola disclosed, the total acreage of sampaguita plantations in the city has shrunk from 30 hectares in the 1990s to three hectares by 2016. (Since then, the total acreage has shrunk down to 5,000 square meters, scattered among the city's barangays.)

The number of dedicated sampaguita growers have also dwindled from 20 down to three, he added.

This, he said, was why he immediately started thinking of "innovative" ways of reviving the industry when Mercado put it as one of his top priorities upon being elected mayor of San Pedro City last May.

"Ang issue kasi, wala na talagang lugar, kahit na mayroong gusto pa ring magtanim ng sampaguita. Kaya ang naisip ko, gamitin natin ang mga resources na mayroon sa atin."

Innovations

One way he saw as a viable subsititute is "pot gardening", which meant growing sampaguitas on pots or old pails or whatever people could use as a good growing space.

"For example, may napansin ako sa Barangay San Roque na yung mga sampaguita ay nakatanim sa timba," he recalled.

"Those are the innovations na gusto kong i-introduce, especially taking advantage of the fact na maraming households ang San Pedro - estimate namin, mga 90,000 households in all. Kung bibigyan natin ng seedlings ang karamihan doon, hindi natin kakailanganin ang vast tract of land to propagate sampaguitas."

This, Layola said, will have to take what he called "social preparations" or getting the public's interest in being individual sampaguita growers.

"Pero tingnan mo yung ginawa ng mga estudyante ng University of the Philippines - Los Baños: nagdistribute sila ng flyers, nag-design sila ng booklets. Of course, this won't happen overnight, pero I believe the three years under Mayor Mercado's term is enough to prepare for that."

One site the city government under Mayor Mercado now sees as a possible starting ground for a new sampaguita plantation is the proposed site of the Sampaguita Park and Nursery in Barangay Rosario, as well as another site in Garcia St. in Barangay Nueva.

These sites are also expected to house a Sampaguita Trading Center that will become a "one-stop" hub for sampaguita growers and traders.

The San Pedro LGU is now also looking at vacant lots other vacant lots that can also be used for sampaguita propagation, as well as enticing commercial and industrial establishments in the city to plant sampaguitas in their own open spaces.

Trading business

During the interview, Layola also bared plans to revive the city's dormant sampaguita trading sector.

"Maraming mga taga-San Pedro ang hindi nakakaalam na may mga sampaguita grower tayo - madalas, yung mga taga-labas pa ang nakakaalam, gaya ng mga taga-Central at Northern Luzon. Sila ang bumibili ng mga sampaguita mula sa mga growers," he explained.

"Natutulungan din naman nila ang mga sampaguita farmers, pero in a way, these traders also take advantage of them, tapos dito na rin dinadala to market."

Another issue the city government found out in the sampaguita trading is the problem of fluctuating supplies that affect the traders' ability to meet the demand for sampaguitas.

"Balak naming makipag-usap sa mga sampaguita growers outside our city para ma-ensure ang steady supply ng sampaguitas," he explained. "Plus ibabalik natin yung mga production sa mga household."

Meanwhile, to combat the issue of oversupply, Layola said the CAO, in cooperation with other local departments, is already looking into other products that could be made from sampaguitas, including essential oils and even foodstuffs.

Total support

Layola assured San Pedronians who are interested to plant sampaguitas that the city government will accommodate them.

Aside from free seedlings, the CAO will also provide farm implements, educational materials, and training on the proper cultivation of sampaguitas.

Meanwhile, the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) will lead the information campaign that will be launched as part of efforts to encourage San Pedronians to once again be engaged in the city's traditional industry.

As for the issue of support, Layola believes San Pedronians, who have had a long and proud tradition of cultivating sampaguitas, will throw their full support behind the program.

"Nakikita ko, very supportive ang mga taga-San Pedro sa programang ito," he related. "Every time na napag-uusapan ang revival ng sampaguita, tuwang-tuwa sila, lalo na yung mga vendor."

The San Pedro LGU is now looking at a tentative date of August 31 for the formal launch of the city government's sampaguita revival program, Layola disclosed.