BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Among the 13 municipalities in Benguet, La Trinidad is known as the “Strawberry Capital of the Philippines.” Each March, the municipality holds its Strawberry Festival. This year, La Trinidad celebrates the 2026 Strawberry Festival with the theme “Limitless La Trinidad: Heart, Harvest, Harmony!” honoring the hard work of local farmers and showcasing the importance of the strawberry industry to the town’s economy and identity. The festival also highlights the province’s rich agricultural heritage.
Many towns promote one product that represents them. In La Trinidad, that product is the strawberry. The Strawberry Festival in Benguet was established in 1981 by Mayor Hilarion “Abe” Pawid to encourage local farmers to shift from vegetable farming to strawberry production. It was officially known as “La Trinidad: Panaspulan,” which means a cultural gathering. The strawberry also carries a history in the region.
In the 19th century, when Spain ruled the Philippines, they first brought strawberries to the valley. In 1898, Spain gave control of the Philippines to the United States. During the American period from 1900 to 1940, strawberries were reintroduced to provide a steady supply for American settlers’ salads. This shows that strawberries in the area are not just fruit but also have a history linked to the country’s colonization.
In 1981, the La Trinidad Strawberry Festival was formally organized to diversify the local economy and promote the strawberry industry. The festival gained fame in 2004 when it made the largest strawberry shortcake in the world, setting a Guinness World Record. The cake weighed about 9,622 kilograms and served over 10,000 people. In 2011, the festival was officially institutionalized through a municipal ordinance, ensuring its celebration every March.
The festival will run for a month, from March 4 to April 1, 2026, featuring activities led by the local government and the community across various venues. La Trinidad Municipal Mayor Roderick Awingan said, “If we are celebrating strawberry as a festival, we are also celebrating as a community. At the same time, this is a community festival. This activity was conceptualized so that there will be harmony and unity among all the constituents.” He added that it is also important to the municipality’s economic development strategy.
The municipality aims to hold a community event that fosters unity while contributing to economic growth. The festival helps local strawberry farmers promote strawberries as a product and byproduct. Mayor Awingan encourages younger generations to join the strawberry farming industry, highlighting the economic opportunity it provides as local farmers are not expanding. He also said this is one reason why La Trinidad continues to improve the festival each year.
The modern festival includes activities such as the Strawberry Lane trade fair, street dancing, float parades, and competitions for the “sweetest and heaviest” strawberries. La Trinidad Tourism Officer Valred Olsim said that while this is a community event, it is also a tourism event. The LGU opens preliminary activities and highlights the commercial trade fair, partnering with other trade fairs to allow community business owners to have stalls at the La Trinidad Public Market. This is how the municipality promotes tourism during the Strawberry Festival.
Residents and visitors are invited to join the festival this month. The Office of the Government Agriculture hosts Strawberry Lane in front of the Municipal Hall, while additional commercial trade fair activities are organized by BUMESKA Events and the La Trinidad Business and Trade Industry. Community-led activities and grand events by the LGU are also featured.
Local Government Unit-led activities:
• March 13, 2026 – Search for the Heaviest and Sweetest Strawberries, 9:00 AM, Municipal Grounds
• March 14, 2026 – Jobs Fair, 8:00 AM, Municipal Gym
– Battle of the Bands, 4:00 PM, Municipal Gym
• March 18, 2026 – Civic Parade and Main Program, 6:00 AM, KM6 – Municipal Hall
– Owik Tan Tayao & Multi-Cultural Celebrations, 8:00 AM, Municipal Hall
• March 20, 2026 – Concert at the Park, 4:00 PM, Municipal Park
• March 21, 2026 – Drum and Lyre, Street Dancing, and Float Parade, 8:00 AM, KM6 – Municipal Hall
– Mister and Miss La Trinidad Pre-Pageant, 6:00 PM, Municipal Gym
• March 25, 2026 – Barangay Night, 5:00 PM, Municipal Gym
• March 28, 2026 – Dongba ni Kavaljo, 9:00 AM, Wangal
• March 29, 2026 – Strawberry Cake Fest, 9:00 AM, Municipal Gym
• March 31, 2026 – Mister and Miss La Trinidad Coronation Night, 6:00 PM, Benguet Sports Complex Gym
• April 1, 2026 – Closing Program, 9:00 AM, Municipal Gym
“We’d like to invite our community to participate in all activities because, at the end of the day, the Strawberry Festival was created as a community event,” Mayor Awingan said. “At the same time, we also want visitors to come to La Trinidad. It is worth visiting for our strawberries, activities, and everything else in La Trinidad, including the people, the farms, and the town itself."
Happy Strawberry Festival, kakailyan!
by Jonalyn Jurl B. Teliaken | March 12, 2026
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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