Tourism & the revival of San Pedro’s Sampaguita industry
In 1934, the sampaguita was declared as the country’s national flower by American Governor-General Frank Murphy.
For close to a hundred years thereafter, the Sampaguita—with its tiny, pristine white petals and gentle, sweet fragrance—graced altars, weddings, victory events, and other beloved celebrations. It was a flower that symbolized pure love, fidelity, and divine hope.
On Jan. 20, 1973, the town of San Pedro claimed the flower for its own, declaring the then municipality as the “Town of Sampaguita.”
It was the first time the Sampaguita became instrumental in promoting tourism. When San Pedro became a city, it carried the sobriquet, “the Sampaguita capital of the Philippines.”
Up until the 1980s, San Pedro, Laguna was well-known for its thriving Sampaguita industry. Widely cultivated through its cuttings, the flowers were harvested and used in the making of essential oils, perfume, and tea.
Skilled artisans crafted beautiful sampaguita garlands and wreathes.
SAMPAGUITA DECLINE
But with extensive land conversion, the number of sampaguita farms in San Pedro narrowed as large areas for sampaguita production began to be used for commercial, industrial and residential purposes.
Most affected by San Pedro’s shift from agriculture to industry were the sampaguita growers, traders, and garland makers.
Still, the marketing of sampaguita garlands remained a thriving industry despite the declining production of sampaguita buds in the city.
In 2016, a San Pedro sampaguita vendor could sell sampaguita garlands at P20 for every bundle (consisting of six leis) for an income of at least P300 a day and more on Saturdays and Sundays when the sampaguita is sold in churches.
However, by 2018, only three farms were growing sampaguita in the City. The supply of sampaguita garlands from Lungsod ng San Pedro became inefficient, with buyers opting to source their sampaguita buds from Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Lubao in Pampanga, and in Pangasinan.
More than the threat to the livelihood of its stakeholders, the continuing decline of sampaguita growing and trade, if left unabated, could wipe out this almost century-old San Pedro tradition and custom that has made the city synonymous with the sampaguita, a flower beloved by tourists everywhere.
TOURISM
Over the years, numerous efforts have been done to revive the sampaguita industry in Lungsod ng San Pedro.
In 1999, city officials began the Manok ni San Pedro Festival, (later changed into the Sampaguita Festival in 2002), as a means to promote tourism in San Pedro.
The Sampaguita Festival features a variety of activities, ranging from cultural events to trade fairs, amateur singing contests, parades, historical exhibits, social and religious gatherings, tribal dance and sports exhibitions. The festival was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic and was returned in 2023.
In 2009, San Pedro local officials spearheaded the making of the longest sampaguita lei—spanning 3.6 kilometers, from the Biñan City-San Pedro boundary, all the way to the Lungsod ng San Pedro-Muntinlupa City boundary along the National Highway. The move earned for the city a Guinness World Record in 2009.
Through all these efforts, there remained a palpable need to rebuild the sampaguita industry from the ground up.
INDUSTRY REVIVAL
A concrete program to revive the sampaguita industry was initiated by newly-elected Mayor Art Mercado in 2022.
“One of our key initiatives to boost tourism in San Pedro is the revival of the Sampaguita industry, which has deep roots in our city’s history and culture. To support this, we’ve opened up a Sampaguita nursery park, created open spaces dedicated to sampaguita planting, and launched various efforts to revive this once-thriving industry,” said Mercado.
He added: “The sampaguita is more than just a flower; it’s a symbol of our identity and heritage, and we’re committed to bringing it back into the spotlight.”
One advantage to the growing back of the sampaguita is that the flower did not require large tracts of land to grow. It can be planted in small backyards where there is sunlight.
Sampaguita is compatible with urban agriculture since the plant is sturdy and beautiful, thus functioning as both decoration and added income to households.
Under Mercado’s watch, the San Pedro LGU distributed free planting materials of marcotted sampaguita plants to the city’s residents.
SAMPAGUITA MUSEUM, MARKER
The City Government is now in the process of opening San Pedro’s first Sampaguita Museum to better highlight the city’s one-town-one product center.
Mercado underscored that the museum will serve as both an educational and cultural hub that will offer residents and tourists alike with a deeper appreciation of the value of the sampaguita in San Pedro’s rich history.
“Ever since I was elected as mayor, along with my wife Mika, one of the main objectives of our administration has been to revive and strengthen the sampaguita industry in Lungsod ng San Pedro. By showcasing our heritage, we aim to instill pride in our community and attract tourists interested in experiencing the unique culture of San Pedro. The sampaguita put San Pedro on the map,” Mercado said.
In 2023, the San Pedro City Government unveiled the sampaguita marker, upon passage of the municipal ordinance that declared Garcia Street at Barangay Nueva as a sampaguita trading area.
SAMPAGUITA PARK AND NURSERY
Using just 3,600-square meters of land, the City Government was able to build a sampaguita nursery in Barangay Rosario and a sampaguita farm at Barangay Langgam.
Both the nursery and farm were unveiled as part of the 2023 Sampaguita Festival. Some 1,700 sampaguita seedlings are currently planted in the nursery as of June 20. Residents who wish to plant sampaguita can visit the nursery and receive free plants.
The Sampaguita Park and Nursery was created by virtue of Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 2022-194—authorizing Mayor Mercado to enter into and deed of usufruct with Rosario Complex Homeowners Association, Inc. for the usage of open space.
City Ordinance No. 2022-28 was likewise put into effect, declaring the Open Space at Sampaguita Park and Nursery.
Also last year, some 30 residents of San Pedro took part in a sampaguita perfume-making seminar at the San Pedro City Hall.
The City Government likewise allocated a parcel of land, measuring 22,974 square meters, for the establishment of a Sampaguita Plantation. It has been billed as a tourist attraction as part of the city’s Sampaguita Revival Program.
MORE TOURISM HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrated for its famous sampaguita, San Pedro is a delicious blend of small-town charm and world-class tourist attractions.
San Pedro is known as the site of the Shrine of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre or the Lolo Uweng Shrine. Attracting thousands of devotees annually on its May 29 Feast Day, Lolo Uweng is the image of the dead Jesus that was found by local fisherfolk on the shore of Brgy. Landayan in San Pedro centuries ago.
Preserving San Pedro’s history is a crucial part of the city’s tourism strategy. Recently, the San Pedro City Government became an affiliate of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, as part of the Local Historical Committees Network.
“This affiliation is a significant step forward in our efforts to document, preserve, and promote the rich historical narratives that make San Pedro unique,” Mercado added.—Trixzy Leigh Bonotan