LAOAG CITY – Amid challenges like bad weather and the African swine fever (ASF) that have affected local farmers’ livelihoods, a new source of hope has blossomed in the city. On Monday, the Todomax Flower Farm and Vegetable Garden, located in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Sitio Lusong, just 10 minutes from the city hall, officially opened its doors to the public, offering a vibrant and colorful escape for visitors.
Spanning 3,000 square meters, the flower farm is a result of the hard work and collaboration of Leovigildo Sacramento and 16 other members of the Todomax Farmers Association and its Rural Improvement Club (RIC). Sacramento shared the excitement of seeing their efforts come to life as visitors flocked to the site to admire the wide array of flowers, including celosia, torenia, and sunflowers.
“We started by cultivating vegetables, but the City Agriculture Office suggested we develop it into an agro-tourism site,” Sacramento told the Philippine News Agency during the farm's opening.
In addition to the flowers, visitors can pick and pay for in-season fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, ampalaya (bitter gourd), eggplant, pepper, and string beans—offering a hands-on agricultural experience for tourists.
City Agriculturist Sheila Marie Opelac expressed high hopes for the farm’s success, noting that it could eventually be expanded to include amenities like a food park to encourage visitors to stay longer. “Laoag City is often just a stopover for travelers, but with an agro-tourism site like this, we can attract people to stay longer, giving our farmers alternative sources of income,” Opelac said. She also assured the public of the local government’s continued support to ensure the sustainability of the farm.
Currently, a donation box has been set up at the entrance of the farm to help maintain the garden, which has become a source of pride for the community.
The opening of the flower farm comes after a challenging period for local farmers, who faced the damaging effects of multiple typhoons over the past two months. While some vegetable crops failed to survive, others are now recovering. In contrast, the ornamental plants have thrived, blooming just in time for the Christmas season.
Sacramento and his fellow farmers had originally hoped to have the flowers ready for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days in early November, when demand for flowers is typically high. Despite the delays, the farm’s beauty is now attracting visitors, including Edmar Garcia Tagama, president of the youth group 4-H Club. Tagama noted that the flower farm is a much-needed addition to the region, eliminating the need for residents and travelers to journey far to places like Baguio City or Benguet for flower farm visits.
“We no longer need to spend much to enjoy the beauty of a flower farm,” Tagama said, praising the farm for offering an accessible and affordable experience for local residents and visitors alike.
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