Baguio wild sunflowers get attention of tourists

BAGUIO CITY, Dec. 4 (PNA) — The yellow wild sunflowers on mountainsides of Benguet and Mountain Province received words of phrase from local tourists journeying the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at this period.

City Tourism Office (CTO) operations officer Gabby Keith said the appearance of the sunflowers which came after more butterflies flew down from Santo Tomas mountain here greatly enhanced the region’s eco-tourism industry.

He predicted that more tourists would be here in the latter part of this month when they want to witness another unique come-on in the area: the frosts.

Frosts which occur when the lowest temperature goes down below 13 degrees celsius have prompted the curious to even visit the farms of La Trinidad, Benguet and at the foot of Mount Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet in recent years to have a glimpse of the ice particles that solidify at early dawn on grasses and crops.

On the other hand, the surviving sunflowers along roadsides and mountainsides here are still enough to catch the eyes of the visitors as they travel along the major routes here especially along the highways of Halsema, Quirino, Marcos; and Kennon Road.

Keith said efforts of local environmentalists to protect the remaining watershed areas have also preserved the habitat of flowers which explained the return of many butterflies from surrounding mountains.(PNA)
PDS/AAG/AAGALACGAC