If there’s one fruit that commands attention, it’s the strawberry (Fragaria ananassa).
Strawberries are one of the healthiest fruits around. It is a temperate crop, and so in a tropical country like the Philippines it is hard to come by. It is grown mostly in cooler places like Baguio. La Trinidad, in Benguet, is considered the “Strawberry Capital of the Philippines.”
“The strawberry is grown in the Philippines at high elevations where the relatively-low temperature conditions are more suitable for its growth and development,” said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Growing them under warmer, lowland conditions results in less fruit quality and low yield.
Aside from those in Baguio and Benguet, strawberries are also grown in Cebu and Cavite. In Mindanao, strawberries can be found in rolling foothills of Mount Apo, particularly Balutakay in Bansalan, Davao del Sur and Kapatagan, Digos City.
In Davao City, strawberries are grown in Marilog District. In Bukidnon, there are also known areas where strawberries thrive. In fact, there’s a counterpart of La Trinidad and known as Taglucop Strawberry Hills (TSH) located at barangay Lorega in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.
Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop, owner of TSH, said he bought the 1.9-hectare property with an objective of turning it into a vacation place for his family. His work as a lawyer brings to various parts of the country. His wife, Jenny, is managing their travel agency. The couple has four children.
Read more at mb.com.ph