Davao City – Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong will host the first marketing and promotions program of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) with the staging of the First MinDA Fruit Festival on Aug. 24 and 25.
Among the fruits to be sold through local vendors in the city are the famous Durian, Longkong Lanzones, Pomelo, Mangosteen and Rambutan.
The project was forged with just one short phone call I made early today to Mayor Magalong who readily embraced the idea.
“Naku, matututuwa ang mga taga Baguio nyan dahil gustong-gusto nila ng mga prutas galing ng Mindanao,” Magalong said over the phone.
Two cargo trucks loaded with Durian and Pomelo will leave Mindanao on Wednesday for the 3 day trip to Baguio City while the perishable fruits like Lanzones, Rambutan and Mangosteen will be flown to Manila from either Davao City or General Santos City on Friday.
I suggested to Mayor Magalong that local fruit vendors be tapped to sell the fruits so that they will be part of the partnership between Mindanao fruit farmers and the consumers of Northern Luzon.
Mayor Magalong said the fruits will be sold along Session Road in the city which will be closed to motor vehicles during the activity.
This will be the start of a weekly activity partnering Mindanao farmers with the City Government of Baguio under its new Mayor.
Fruits are in abundance now in Mindanao because it is the fruiting season and the prices have dropped by about 50% since last month.
Farmers have sought the help of government to sell their produce outside of Mindanao and MinDA has assumed the role as the marketing promotions agency for products from the Southern Philippines.
(Photos of the fruits were downloaded from public websites while my photo with Mayor Magalong and Robert Domoguen was taken in Baguio City last month when I visited the wake of my friend, Ramon Dacawi.)
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