Green paradise

Travelers would know they are in Guiguinto, Bulacan when the nurseries filled with a variety of ornamental plants and flowers in Barangay Tabang, along the North Luzon Expressway are already in sight.

Garden owners, hobbyists and landscape artists formerly based in Hagonoy relocated to Guiguinto due to the perennial flooding in the said town. The relocation proved to be ideal as they have worked wonders for Guiguinto which is now carving its name in the country’s landscaping industry.

Almost one–fourth of the town’s 2,512 hectares has been converted into nurseries. More than 500 families of gardeners and landscapers were encouraged to form a cooperative to help them improve the business and, likewise, promote Guiguinto as the "garden city" of Bulacan.

Today, an area in Barangay Tabang has been serving as the exhibit area of landscape styles and the most sought-after garden plants of the members of the Guiguinto Garden City Cooperative.

Digging gold

Mayor Isagani Pascual enthused that the landscaping business in Guiguinto has already become a R50 million industry. Some of the garden owners are even suppliers of Ayala Center and Araneta Center.

According to Jojo Sebastian, chairperson of the Guiguinto Garden City Cooperative, during the peak season, from September to April, stores usually sell between P100,000 to P300,000 worth of plants and contracts for garden and landscapes designs a month. Low season starts during the rainy months, from May to August.

"Landscaping is both a science and an art," said Rene Robles, the former chairperson of the cooperative. "A good landscaper should understand both the elements of nature and construction, and blend them together."

The art of gardening is an ancient practice, and has had great religious and social significance. Landscaping has evolved differently in various regions, which simply reflects the reality that each part of our planet has its own native plants.

"A designer doesn’t have to adopt a specific style. Just by examining the principles of this type of art, plus its time–honored styles, the designer can expand his techniques and create a unique and expressive landscape design. There is no limit to the creativity the designer has in his or her disposal," explained Robles.

Halamanan Festival

To give the town a distinct identity and boost its economic potential, the "Halamanan Festival" or Garden Festival was created.

Mayor Pascual promises that this year’s celebration will be a more colorful one. "Through the years, the festival has boosted the ornamental plant industry. This is our way of helping the stakeholders in improving their industry. We promote it with the festival and at the same time, position Guiguinto as the country’s garden city," he said.

The Halamanan Festival, now on its ninth year, coincides with the celebration of Guiguinto Foundation day on Jan. 23. The members of the cooperative will showcase their talents and skills in the art of landscaping and gardening. They compete in different design categories to showcase the growing industry.

Thousands are also expected to come to witness the colorful street dance competition. An added delight to visitors is the sale of ornamental plants at much lower prices.

Origins

Guiguinto began as a barrio of Bulacan town, the former provincial capital of Bulacan.

According to legend, every full moon, a golden bull emerges from the Church of San Ildefonso and goes down to the nearby river to quench his thirst. It then returns to the church, ascends at the altar and disappears. The elders believed that there are gold jars buried in the town, as indicated by the bull, and that is why the town was called Guiguinto.

The town of Guiguinto is second to Obando as the smallest municipality in Bulacan. It is bounded on the East by the town of Balagtas, on the west by Malolos, on the North by Plaridel, and on the South by Bulacan. It is situated approximately 34 kms. northeast of Metro Manila.

The imminent government project for a mass transit railway system from Manila to Clark, passing through the central town of Guiguinto, is expected to boost the municipality’s infrastructure development.

[ Araneta Center Wiki ]