SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – In a display of the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan, the local government of Caba in La Union distributed one ton of free cabbage for its residents in all barangays of the town on Jan. 14.

The fresh cabbages were donated by farmers from La Trinidad in Benguet, known for their abundant vegetable produce that are distributed and marketed to several areas outside of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The province of La Union, although part of the Ilocos Region, is strategically located adjacent to CAR, specifically the province of Benguet, where fresh produce are abundant and where vegetable supplies are imported from.

Meanwhile, the local government of Caba expressed their appreciation for the assistance provided by the farmers of La Trinidad town, noting how the cooperation and support inspire people to stay united while also showing the excellence of community volunteerism.

“Isang malaking pasasalamat sa mga magsasaka ng La Trinidad, Benguet, sa kanilang mabuting kalooban at pagtulong sa mga karatig-bayan. Ang pagkakaroon ng ganitong mga samahan at suporta ay nagbibigay inspirasyon sa pagtataguyod ng pagkakaisa at kagalingan sa komunidad,” the local government of Caba said in a Facebook post.

Rafael Quiñones, a resident of Caba town and one of the recipients of the free cabbages, expressed his gratitude to the donors from La Trinidad town and the local government of Caba.

“Salamat [ti] adu [nga intedyo a tulong],” Quiñones said.

(Thank you so much for the assistance provided).

According to the latest agricultural figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as of September 2023, the nation was able to produce 23.33 thousand metric tons of cabbage for the period of April to June 2023.

Around 2.94 thousand hectares of agricultural land was meanwhile used for the harvesting of cabbage from January to June 2023, a 0.6 percent increase from the 2.92 thousand hectares recorded over the same period in 2022.

CAR meanwhile remains the largest producer of cabbage for the 3rd quarter of 2023, posting a figure of 18.5 thousand metric tons or 79.3 percent of the quarter’s total production. (JCR/MJTAB/CCMT, PIA La Union)