Benguet roses now a summer attraction

Baguio is no longer the only tourist attraction in Benguet. Bahong in La Trinidad also has a lot to offer–lots and lots of roses, to be exact, and flower farms.   According to a report on GMA News’ ’24 Oras,’ the rose season runs from February to April–earning Bahong, the moniker “rose capital” of the Philippines–which is quite a sight this summer.   Tourists may even be able to pick flowers from the farms for free if the owners allow it, Bahong resident Fatima Lumerez said in the report.   “Magaganda ‘yung mga bulaklak dito. Tsaka mga fresh,” she said.   According to figures from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the Philippines produced 2,328.46 metric tons (MT) of roses in 2010, of which over 1,405.49 MT or more than half were produced in Benguet. —Amanda Lago/VS, GMA News