The sampaguita leis you buy are sourced in Manaoag
THE sweet scent of sampaguita flowers is making residents of Barangay Baritao in Manaoag smiling because it has become a source of livelihood.
Baritao, located about 2.5 kilometers southwest of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, has many residents who depend on sampaguita growing and lei making for livelihood. The place has about 5,000 plants in a total of about five hectares lot located in separate backyards of the people.
Some households here have their own sampaguita plantation at the back of their homes.
The residents supply the leis of sampaguita to vendors sold to pilgrims who arrive daily at the Minor Basilica of the Our Lady of the Rosary, to the town of Calasiao, the home of the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and the Señor Divino Tesoro chapel, and to the St. John The Evangelist Cathedral in Dagupan City.
Ester Quidilig who has been growing the flower and making sampaguita leis, for 30 years, said she started it when she was barely 27 years old. She has about 100 plants in their family backyard.
She and other backyard planters can produce 3,000 sampaguita necklaces/leis and garlands. Their peak months are from March to May when the flowers are in full bloom.
Quidilig said her sampaguita plants enabled her to send her children to school.
Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia who visited the place on Nov. 22, said the livelihood in the barangay has a potential as agri-tourism site in Manaoag.
To realize this potential, he cited the need to organize sampaguita farmers and introduce to them the concept of agri-tourism to further boost their livelihood.
De Venecia tried to make sampaguita lei and found it both fun and hard.
“In my 33 years of existence and of buying sampaguita lei, this is the first time I personally did a lei and this is the kind of activity that tourists look forward to of doing,” he said. (PhilStar Wire Service/ECV)
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