La Trinidad floats and dancers awe crowds
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Sixteen floats bedecked with flowers lined Valley streets in a display of unity and color over the weekend.
The streets were filled with color, music and camaraderie when contingents from all over the town participated in the annual Strawberry Festival wowing the crowds with 13 floats from the barangay category and three from the open category, five groups of street dancers and eight contingents battling it
out in the drum and lyre competition.
Floats bedecked with flowers and children sashaying the streets gave an expectant crowd a grandiose display which was long awaited in the Valley.
Winners for the mini float barangay category competition were barangays Bineng bagging 1st place with a rating of 92.80% followed by Bahong with 90.00%, Ambiong garnering 87.40% and Lubas with 87.40%
Taloy Norte bagged the top plum with its float getting 90.00% from the judges in the open category followed by Benguet State University with 88.20 % and the Cutflowers Farmer Association placing third with 85.40%.
Prizes for the minifloat open category are P40,000 for 1st place; P20k for 2 place and P10,000 for 3rd place. Winners also received a plaque while consolation prizes were given P5,000 with certificates.
The barangay category winners got P50,000 for the top plum, P30,000 for 2nd place and P20,000 for 3rd while consolation prizes received P10,000.
Winners for the street dancing competition are Barangay Ambiong ( 90. 50%), Barangay Beckel (89.50 %) and Benguet State University (88.67 %).
Winners for the street dancing were given P25,000 for the top prize while 2nd and 3rd placers got P20,000 and P15,000 respectively.
La Trinidad Central School placed first with 95.67% in the drum and lyre competition while Puguis Elemen- tary School came in second with 94.50% while Buyagan Elementary School placed third with a score of 94.40%.
The top three in the drum and lyre received P25,000, P20,000 and P15,000 respectively.
The annual festival is themed, “A More colorful agro eco-tourism,” which focuses on the thriving industries of the Valley, at the market grounds stand 16 stalls representing the various villages of the Valley coming together to display their products and services.