PGLU TURNS OVER BOUGAINVILLEA CUTTINGS TO LU LANDSCAPING PARTICIPANTS
By: Joy Ann L. Gurtiza, GPC-LUPTO | Photos By: GPC-LUPTO and Sonny Buenaventura, PIO | Date: May 5, 2021
On behalf of the Provincial Government of La Union, La Union Provincial Tourism Office (LUPTO) Officer-in-Charge Arthur S. Cortez, Jr. with local historian Dr. Adriel Obar Meimban turns over bougainvillea cuttings to City General Services Officer (GSO) Don Carlo N. Peña of the City Government of San Fernando on May 5, 2021 at the Provincial Capitol Grounds, City of San Fernando, La Union.
The ceremonial turnover of bougainvillea cuttings kick starts the Bougainvillea Garden Landscape Competition as component activity of Bougainvillea Propagation Project of the provincial government.
As part of the province’s observance of the National Heritage Month (NHM), the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) headed by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III represented by La Union Provincial Tourism Office (LUPTO) Officer-in-Charge Arthur S. Cortez, Jr. with local historian and author Dr. Adriel Obar Meimban turned over bougainvillea cuttings to the City Government of San Fernando, La Union headed by Acting City Mayor Alfredo Pablo R. Ortega represented by City General Services Officer (GSO) Don Carlo N. Peña and Assistant City GSO Teresita M. Gacayan on May 5, 2021 at the Provincial Capitol Grounds, City of San Fernando, La Union.
The ceremonial turnover of bougainvillea cuttings forms part of the Bougainvillea Garden Landscape Competition as component activity of the Bougainvillea Propagation Project of the provincial government. This PLGU initiative through the LUPTO – Culture and Arts Section is in pursuant to the implementation of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance No. 005-2014 or the Official Flowers Act of 2014 which enjoins all component local government units (LGUs) of La Union to plant the official provincial flower along highways, thoroughfares, roads and streets within their respective territorial jurisdictions.
Bougainvillea, as a woody, evergreen and shrubby vine, is commonly grown in La Union and was adopted as the province’s official flower as declared in Ordinance 001-2002 or Adopting Bougainvillea as the Official Flower of the Province of La Union.
Other LGUs taking part in the Landscape Competition also received bougainvillea cuttings on May 3, 2021 including the Municipalities of San Juan, Luna, Balaoan, Santol, Bangar, Bauang, Naguilian, Aringay, Santo Tomas, Rosario and Tubao.
The judging of the final entries of participating LGUs is scheduled on June 15 – 17, 2021 to determine outstanding bougainvillea garden landscapes. Moving forward, these initiative aim to encourage households to plant and propagate the same in their own homes and backyards.
As continued support in the observance of NHM celebration, PGLU is conducting its own NHM activities by organizing and participating in heritage-related activities such as webinars and online workshops and lectures to strengthen people’s consciousness, respect and love for the legacies of national and local Filipino cultural history.
