In photo: IPB Director Fe M. de la Cueva (second to the left) guested in the 26th Halamanan Festival opening. She is accompanied by Mr. Fernando B. Aurigue (leftmost) and Ms. Agripina O. Rasco (second to the right), who are former IPB ornamental breeders.
The Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), led by Director Fe M. de la Cueva, paid a visit at the 26th Halamanan Festival during its opening ceremony on January 18, 2024 in Guiguinto, Bulacan. IPB staff were invited as guests, including former ornamental breeders Ms. Agripina O. Rasco and Mr. Fernando B. Aurigue, who also shared their expertise as judges for the festival’s Garden Competition.
The competition featured seven categories, namely: Bougainvillea Plant Competition, Cactus and Succulent Plant Competition, On-the-Spot Dish Garden Competition, Ornamental Plants Competition, Figured-Plant Competition, Landscape Competition, and Topiary Plant Competition.
During the ceremony, IPB turned over seed packets to Guiguinto Mayor Atty. Agatha Paula A. Cruz as part of an ongoing and flourishing collaboration between IPB and the municipality for both food and ornamental crops.
The Halamanan Festival, which celebrates the feast day of the municipality’s patron San Ildefonso every January, aims to showcase the skills of the locals and the blooming gardening industry in Guiguinto. (Arbert Em M. Sobreviñas)
