Visayas State University (VSU), the home of one of the country’s centers of excellence in agriculture, officially kicked off the commercial opening of this year’s VSU Flower and Garden Show earlier today, April 16, as part of the university’s 99th Founding Anniversary celebration at the VSU Lower Campus Garden.
Nature-Rich Community
The event was organized by the VSU Department of Horticulture, spearheaded by Dr. Rosario A. Salas, with the cooperation of the Visca Horticultural Society (ViHoS), a student-led organization in VSU. This flower and garden show highlights different ornamental and flowering plants developed by gardeners and farmers from various gardening service institutes and municipalities throughout the Leyte Province.
With VSU as a university close to nature, located between the mountain and the sea, the flower and garden show is traditionally part of the founding anniversary celebration of the university every year. This display is also intended to appreciate the value of Filipino farmers and the importance of the agriculture sector.
“Every anniversary gyud ni siya mahitabo, kumbaga nahitabo ni siya to ipakita how important is horticulture, floriculture, and the agriculture and then the value of farmers,” Mr. Gerald Cascara Cataag, ViHoS president, said.
[“This event is organized annually to showcase the importance of horticulture, floriculture, agriculture, and the value of the farmers."]
According to Mr. Cataag, this event normally runs with the opening of the VSU's Founding Anniversary celebration and is open to the public. Gardeners from the different barangays of Baybay City, such as Kilim, Patag, and Pangasugan, and neighboring municipalities, such as Isabel, Hindang, Hilongos, and Bontoc, Southern Leyte, are present at the commercial opening of the said exhibit.
More Than Just Planting a Seed
Anita Bustamante, one of the gardeners participating in this year’s VSU Flower and Garden Show, talks about gardening as her passion in life although it was not her program when she was studying, she found her love for plants and uses her skills in the field to be the source of income to support her family’s daily expenses.
“Siguro passion, kay mao man ni akong panginabuhi and mao man ni among panabang sa amo pagkaon sa adlaw-adlaw,” Bustamante stated.
["I think gardening is really my passion because it becomes my livelihood and my family’s source of income for everyday living."]
This year is her first time joining the show, and looking forward to being part of next year’s display for the centennial celebration of the VSU, as this show commercializes diverse plants and exposes them to a wider audience.
Aside from monetary benefits, she also emphasizes gardening as an instrument in alleviating life problems and improving her mental health by just taking a peek at the greenery.
This year’s flower and garden show will formally open on April 20, with a ten-peso entrance fee, and is accessible to the Viscan community and the public.