The 3rd Annual Roselle Festival, the only one of its kind in the Philippines, will be held on November 22, 2017 in Tanay, Rizal.
The Roselle Festival is a project of Earth Day Network Philippines, Inc., and Shumei Philippines, in partnership with the University of Rizal System and the Tanay Tourism Association, Inc. The festivities will be held at the Shumei Natural Agricultural Farm in Brgy. Samaploc, Tanay, Rizal.
The Roselle Festival is a harvest festival celebrating and gratifying what God and Mother Earth has given us. Tanay Rizal, known for its tropical foliage and views of Laguna de bay, will serve as the perfect backdrop for the occasion. In the Shumei Farm, traditional farming methods are revitalized for the benefit of rural communities.
The theme of the Festival is “We are Stardust, We are Golden… We got to get back to the Garden.” One of the highlights of the festival will be a short climb to the rolling hills (10-15 mins) of the Roselle plantation. During the climb, participants may enjoy the view and pick Roselle plants. The program will also include Taiko drumming, interfaith prayers and other cultural presentations. There will also be a simple blessing of the newly-opened processing center. The Roselle Festival is part of the “Protecting Biodiversity Through Developing Community-based Sustainable Use of Natural Resources” project by Earth Day Network Philippines, Inc.
The endeavor is funded by UNDP-GEF (United Nations Development Programme-Global Environmental Facility) under the aegis of DENR to help protect the rich biodiversity of the Sierra Madres by enabling the local indigenous community, Dumagats, to improve their income and quality of life. The uplifting of fellow Filipinos is done through sustainable use of the natural resources, such as Roselle, a variety of hibiscus (local name: gumamela). The Roselle harvest is then processed into savory tea, wine, delicious jams and other food supplements.
For more details, check out the Roselle Philippines Facebook page here.