In this year’s Sampaguita Festival in San Pedro City, Laguna, the city’s local heritage, culture, and artistry bloomed like the Philippines’ national flower.
The weeklong run of activities from May 22 to 30 not only showcased the beauty of the sampaguita flower, one of San Pedro City’s unique cultural and economic treasures, but also unleashed a new wave of creativity and talent among San Pedrenses.
Highlights
Throughout the whole week, the San Pedro City Tourism, Culture and Arts Office (CTCAO) ensured that the activities for the Sampaguita Festival will unleash the best of the best of the city’s creative talents.
The very first “Padyak Para sa Turismo: Sampaguita Pedicab Float Parade” last May 23 not only highlighted the vital role of the humble pedicab in moving the city’s economy forward but also enabled the participants to present their barangays’ unique cultural aspects.
Barangay Santo Nino, which was declared the winner, highlighted its role as a “Barangay of Leaders” as four of the city’s former mayors came from this barangay.
Meanwhile, the "Sampaguita Artistry: Disenyo Sampaguita Competition" on May 24 challenged the city's sampaguita garland makers and enthusiasts to reinvent the traditional sampaguita lei and turn them into products that will preserve its beauty and scent in the modern era.
Other activities such as the Himig Sampaguita Choral Showcase on May 25, the Pintura ng Pamana art competition on May 26, and the Lakambini ng San Pedro 2026, during which Ryza Rose Erise of Barangay Nueva was crowned as the first "Lakambini ng San Pedro," were also a testament to the city's rich asset of talents.
History and heritage
This year’s Sampaguita Festival also stayed true to its pledge of highlighting not only the heritage of the sampaguita flower but also of San Pedro City’s historical heritage.
The second Tertulya: San Pedro Heritage Forum on May 25, which featured prominent historians including Dr. Michael Charleston "Xiao" Chua, served as a public venue for San Pedrenses to rediscover and promote the city’s local history and culture.
Of course, the main goal of the Sampaguita Festival - the revival of the traditional sampaguita industry - also took center stage with the planting of sampaguita seedlings at Robinsons Galleria South Mall and SM Center San Pedro last May 28.
And as this year’s Sampaguita Festival also coincided with the “Kapistahan ni Lolo Uweng” in Barangay Landayan on May 29, San Pedro City was also able to highlight the decades-long veneration of Filipino Catholics to the image of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sepulchre, popularly known as “Lolo Uweng,” that has been a high point of Barangay Landayan.
Even with “scaled-down” events due to the impact of the energy crisis, the organizers of the Sampaguita Festival 2026 believed that its success lies not in the “grand” parades or massive events, but in unleashing the innate talent of every San Pedrense and rekindling in them the spirit of community in the united goal of becoming “Una sa Laguna.”
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