Event | The first Flora Fiesta bloomed in Quezon City

“What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission,
and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community,
you can make the impossible possible.” - John Lewis
Gulay Pa More, the first Flora Fiesta in Metro Manila, has gathered the eco-explorers, the plantitos and plantitas, and organizations that push for green projects from different parts of the country. The event was held at the parking area of the Palma Hall (College of Social Sciences and Philosophy) within the University of the Philippines—Diliman, Quezon City, on May 25, 2024.
On a peaceful Saturday morning, we were grateful to the surrounding grand trees for their massive branches that provided us shelter from the passing light rains. The green spaces of the university were an ideal place for nature-related activities like tree walks—identifying native trees, live drawing or painting of plants, cooking demonstrations using selected edible flora as the main ingredient, food merchants selling plant-based meals and drinks, live accoustic performances and meaningful talks on the main stage.
 
The eco-explorers were drawn by the impressive table display of edible flora—uniquely shaped in different sizes, textures, and colors. There's a small section of the table where we found a set of square-shaped and circular-shaped wooden bowls. Each wooden bowl has a variety of kinds of unrefined sugar, grains, and salt.
The seed of curiosity has grown. They begin by exchanging their knowledge and experiences with the eco-explorers staffing the long table, as well as taking photos and videos of the items on display and posting them on their social media.

Many thanks to John Sherwin Felix, the founder of Lokalpedia and the artist behind the bountiful table arrangement. Lokalpedia is an online advocacy project that documents Philippine ingredients, specializing in edible flora. The project goes beyond highlighting each ingredient; its accompanied by the stories of the locals as to where they source it, how they prepare it, how to cook it, and the final plating, which earned him admiration and support from our Kababayans.

Agriculture is one of the topics covered by the guest speakers, and the eco-explorers are willing to be educated. The law is similar to soil preparation, which lays the groundwork for tomorrow's prosperity. It would be ideal if our lawmakers had a discussion with traditional farmers before drafting a bill benefiting farmers.
Who are the traditional farmers? Farmers have inherited sustainable farming practices and have a deep understanding of how climate change affects their livelihood. Currently, our lawmakers are proposing quick-fix solutions, such as buying imported 'palay' or rice plants when we already have local 'palay', allowing harmful pesticides to be sprayed on produce deemed unsafe to eat when we have safer alternatives, and constructing infrastructure, such as malls, that our farmers cannot fully utilize when they need proper irrigation projects to combat the El Nino season.

This leaves me with a budding question: What can I do as a citizen? I'll show up to these community-driven events, buy goods from participating merchants, write about my experiences, and actively look for public servants who have a heart for uplifting the lives of Filipinos. He or she must know how serious lawmaking is.
Sharing my take-home goods: 1 kilo of red onions from Nueva Ecija, 1 kilo of yellow mangoes from Cavite, and 1/4 kilo of langka or jackfruit from Northern Luzon. All under $2.
Bonus: The Farmassist Best Seller, the Pan Alo, a clever wordplay, ('panalo' means winner). It truly won me, thin crust bread with generous amount of diced bell peppers, onions and minced-looking meat - it doesn't taste or smell like pork or beef. It's a green pass for vegetarians and vegans. The dipping sauce is good for those who love spicy. The pricing is reasonable for a fresh baked light snack. PS. Mangoes complement this.

The Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society Inc. put together an art exhibit in honor of its founder and passionate botanist, Leonard Co, for his contributions to the Philippine flora.

Thank you to the hard-working organizers, merchants, farmers, volunteers, and their following partners for making this event possible:
Gulay Pa More, Agreocology X, Gulay Na!, Good Food Co., Lokalpedia, Masipag, Present Coalition, Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), FSSSI, Oxfam Pilipinas, Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), CARD MRI HijosTours, Mga Likha Ni Inay, Plant Base Treaty Philippines, Samasa Almuni, Ugnayan Center for Filipino Gastronomy, University of the Philippines System and Diliman, and Quezon City Government.

Extending the appreciation to the following:
Amihan - National Federation of Peasant Women, Anima Tierra, Astig Vegan, Bagsakan Famers Market, Celine Murillo, Center of Environmental Concerns Philippines, IBON Foundation, Ili Likhaan Ceramics,  Delicielo, Kape Lakbay, LightSeers, Move to Change Foundation Inc., PISARA - Diliman, Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society Inc., Philippine Native Tree Enthusiasts, Plant Based Treaty, Pranic Healing - Institute of Inner Studies, Sibol Kolektibo, SAKA, The Farmassist, The Good Choices, Through Habit Cafe and Villa Berde.

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