Field of Sunshine

MANILA, Philippines — Imagine getting lost in a field of brilliant yellow, of being surrounded by sunflowers as large as your face. Hie over to Tayug municipality in Pangasinan and be amazed at three sunflower mazes that you can walk or run through as you try to find your way out.

Located on a two-hectare property in Barangay C. Lichauco, the mazes are the handiwork of Aaron Paul Peralta, proprietor of APP Builders, who was so taken by the sunflowers he saw in Baguio that he tried growing them in Tayug. He was thrilled at how the plants adapted to the locality and bloomed so profusely.

Last year, a maze was put up by Allied Botanical Corp. (ABC) in their demonstration farm also located in Tayug. However, the firm decided not to put up the maze this year, prompting Peralta to take on the project. 

Vergel Sto. Domingo, marketing director and consultant of sunflower maze this year, told STARweek that APP Builders took the initiative to put up the three mazes, with the support of the municipality of Tayug in time for its town fiesta.

“We are promoting the sunflower festival, the beauty of the sunflower,” Sto. Domingo said.

He said they built three mazes so that there will be an abundance of sunflowers as they simultaneously reach full bloom in April. The life span of sunflowers is from two weeks to one month only, so for the three months’ duration of the mazes from March to May, they must ensure that there are enough sunflowers to keep the mazes a-bloom. A total of over 2,000 sunflower plants are used for the mazes.

Even before the mazes officially opened yesterday, people not just from Pangasinan but from Metro Manila, Batangas, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Cagayan Valley came over to marvel at the field of yellow. Organizers expect about 100,000 visitors. 

Peralta rented and developed a cornfield for the sunflower mazes and started the big job of preparing the site last January. He explained that sunflowers grow up to six feet and its flowers can be as big as the size of the face of an adult person. “We thought of the maze to add more excitement to the people when they get lost,” he said.

Mayor Tyrone Agabas wants sunflowers to be the trademark of the town and will have sunflowers as the main feature for their town fiesta.

The fiesta, which honors St. Patrick of Ireland, kicked off on Mar. 10 and runs through Mar. 20. Other activities include street dancing featuring elementary and high school students clad in sunflower costumes and sunflower themed floats with the Mrs. Tayug and Little Miss Tayug participants.

Peralta said social media plays a big role in the promotion of the sunflower maze project.

“You know the millennials, when they post their pictures and people see the beautiful sunflowers, there’s a domino effect when they like and share it,” he said.

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The mazes are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until  May 31.

An entrance fee of P100 for adults and P80 for children, students, persons with disability and senior citizens is charged. Sunflowers will be on sale for interested buyers.