LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A plant, with a multitude of petals, that wove itself into the fabric of folklore and legends across cultures and finally landing the niche as “flower of the emperors of Japan” has long rooted its way in Philippines north Luzon and grown for decades by Benguet highland farmers.
Possessing a history as colorful as its flowers, it has captured the imaginations of people for centuries who celebrate the flower’s beauty and symbolism that it has landed on the status of royalty.
Legend has centuries ago, an Oriental philosopher said, “If you are happy for a lifetime, grow (this flower).” The phrase says a lot about this wonderful flower.
For centuries, humanity has celebrated with flowers, using these as symbols in ceremonies, festivals and acts of remembrance. Such symbolism of national flowers overshadows borders, resonating with anybody who yokes to their beauty and value.
Each bloom chosen as a national flower holds a deep attachment to a nation’s identity, revealing tales of shared heritage, hardiness and character.
Just like in the Philippines when in February 1, 1934, then Governor-General Frank Murphy elevated, through Proclamation No. 652, the Sampaguita as the national flower of the Philippines.
Nowhere is this magnified with prominence than in the “Land of the Rising Sun,” where this flower holds distinction as the Imperial Seal of Japan, or, National Seal of Japan, similar to the National Coat of Japan on Japanese passports and over doors of Japanese diplomatic facilities overseas.
Chrysanthemum is the imperial seal of Japan since 1183. If Benguet has its unique Panagbenga flower festival, Japan, too, has its “Chou you no Sekko,” or Chrysanthemum Festival held September yearly. It is one of Japan’s oldest festivals.
The Oriental philosopher who uttered the enduring phrase referred to the Chrysanthemum flower used by the Japanese as its Imperial Seal since 1183. It became an imperial symbol when Japan’s emperor Go-Toba (1180-1239) chose the flower as his reign’s emblem.
Ever since then, chrysanthemum is associated with Japanese emperors.
Chrysanthemums also have a unique connection to the Japanese sword, the katana. Japanese swords-forgers often imprinted on a katana a chrysanthemum emblem, linking the flower to the spirit of the sword and forging a symbolic bond between nature’s elegance and the might of the samurai.
Legends abound about the chrysanthemum not only in Japan but in other nations. One Japanese folklore relates how chrysanthemum came to be found in Japan. Legend has it that in the beginning, many gods abounded in heaven and among them were goddess Izanami and god Izanagi who were commanded to go down to Earth.
On Earth, Izanami created the gods of the winds, mountains, sea and others. Finally creating the god of fire, Izanami died. Missing Izanami, Izanagi followed her to the place of the Black Night where she had gone, only to be pursued by the Old Hag of Black Night.
Barely escaping with his life back to Earth, Izanagi went straight to a river for a purifying bath. As he shed off his clothes and these touched ground, these metamorphosed into twelve gods, his jewels became flowers and his necklace into a golden chrysanthemum.
Another legend spoke of only one place in Japan before where chrysanthemum was not grown. Long ago in the city of Himeji, a nobleman lived in a castle full of wealth. Distrustful of others, he allowed only his maid, O-Kiku, to dust off his treasures. One day, O-Kiku discovered one the nobleman’s ten precious plates missing.
Unable to locate it and fearing she’d be blamed for the loss; she took her life. Nightly, her ghost appeared at the castle searching for the plate. Her repeated wailing drove the nobleman out of the castle, which eventually fell into ruin. People of Himeji, delighted by his departure, refused to grow chrysanthemum in honor of O-Kiku.
The Japanese word for chrysanthemum is Kiku. The word chrysanthemum comes from the Greek words “Khrysos,” (gold) plus “anthemon,” (flower), hence, originally Khrysanthemum, literally meaning golden flower.
In Japan’s War of the Dynasties which started in 1357 and lasted for 55 years, each Samurai warrior wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a golden badge of courage.
In Chinese culture, chrysanthemum flower is considered a symbol of longevity and good luck while traditional Chinese medicine uses it as treatment for headaches, fever and high blood pressure.
A European legend tells chrysanthemum originated from drops of dew by the Greek moon goddess Selene, who wept with tears of joy upon seeing the beauty of Mother Earth. Her tears fell to the ground and sprouted into chrysanthemum plants, symbolizing everlasting love and devotion.
In Great Britain, chrysanthemums are considered tokens of friendship and affection, exchanged between lovers as expressions of undying love and fidelity.
In native American lore, chrysanthemums believed to possess transformative powers, turning adversity into opportunity and despair into hope. Such that a young Indian maiden named White Chrysanthemum, gifted with the ability to communicate with plants and animals transformed herself one time into a chrysanthemum flower and escaped the clutches of a sorceress.
She emerged victorious, inspiring Native American Indian generations today to embrace change and transformation.
A German legend tells of how one cold, snowy Christmas Eve in Germany’s Black Forest, a peasant family sat down to a meager supper when they heard moaning. At first they thought it was the wind, but the sound continued. They opened their door and saw a disheveled beggar standing there, blue with cold even when he was wrapped in a torn blanket.
They ushered him in and gladly shared their scanty food. Instantly, he shed off his blanket and revealed a man in white clothing with a halo around his head. Proclaiming himself the Christ Child, he left the peasant’s poor dwelling.
The next morning where the beggar stood were two white chrysanthemums. Today, it is German tradition to always bring white chrysanthemums into their homes every Christmas Eve, firmly believing that by doing so, they are sheltering Christ Child.
How Chrysanthemum reached Benguet continues to remain a curiosity that, fortunately, did not kill a cat. In fact, available records reveal how luck stuck on the side of a Benguet farmer consumed by tender curiosity.
A certain La Trinidad strawberry farmer, by the name of Joseph Bugtong was consumed by inquisitiveness about the flower that he took it upon himself to introduce growing the flowers of the emperors in Benguet in 1981.
Bugtong started chrysanthemum growing during the time of the KKK, or the Kilusan Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran, the government’s livelihood program during the tenure of the late Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.
After profitably selling his first harvest of chrysanthemum flowers, neighbors soon followed suit until chrysanthemum growing became a small-scale industry. Thirty-three years later today, it is a multi-million agricultural venture in Benguet.
As for Bugtong, it was said he became prosperous growing the chrysanthemum. He did away with cultivating strawberries, and became a full-time chrysanthemum grower beside the Balili River. Baguio’s inns, hotels, homeowners, flower stall owners were then his regular customers. Others, he sold them outright to Manila.
Why do chrysanthemum plants proliferate easily in Benguet? The answer points to Benguet possessed with a salubrious climate very ideal for chrysanthemum growing, a one decided advantage it has over Laguna or Davao which are also trying into chrysanthemum production.
But the output of Laguna or Davao (even if added up) cannot even match what is being produced in Benguet. Even government horticulturists from other provinces admit this fact.
Their previous forecast that Benguet would become the “chrysanthemum country in the making” has turned out to be true. People now love to dub Benguet as the “chrysanthemum capital” of the Philippines.
Their inference has merit. The flower, having found a secure place in the hearts of Benguet farmers is the reason why Benguet province alone, is on the top in production of chrysanthemum, averaging over 10, 600 metric tons yearly, or 42 per cent of total chrysanthemum production in the Philippines.
Yearly production of Benguet harvest reaches over 1.59 million dozen. Per hectare, Benguet can produce over 1,283,000 metric tons of cut-flower chrysanthemums.
In 2018, Benguet produced 1,348.50 metric tons of chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums are regularly grown in Atok, Tublay, Kibungan, La Trinidad municipalities. In La Trinidad, these are grown in barangays Bineng, Beckel, Ambiong, Lubas and Shilan.
Farmers are capable of producing 1.5 dozens of Chrysanthemums per square meter with a profit of more than 24,000 pesos, using Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) introduced by the BSU in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) and other government entities.
Exponential expansion of chrysanthemum production in Benguet during the past years points to the province’s cut-flower industry as among the fastest growing sector of its economy.
Across cultures, chrysanthemums reflect a rich tapestry of human experience captured in the essence of nature’s splendor that evokes a sense of wonder and resonating from the fabric of tradition, legend and myth.
As one Benguet farmer, Lias Kaspilen intimately confided to this column: “Ti chrysanthemum ti gapuna nu apay naka-asawa ak ken napaiskwelak dagiti uubing ko.”
