04/09/2026
๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ
๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
A significant step toward recognizing Sagudayโs artistic identity and strengthening its local creative economy unfolded as the Sangguniang Bayan spearheaded a public hearing on the proposed ordinance declaring Fossilized Flowers as the Municipalityโs Official One Town, One Product (OTOP), alongside its recognition as Sagudayโs Key Tourism Offering, Cultural Heritage, and Creative Industry. Held in Barangay Gamis, the home of Sagudayโs fossilized flowers and its declared Fossilized Flower Village, the consultation brought together the Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO), Tourism Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Public Employment Service Office (PESO), barangay leaders, pioneering fossilized flower makers, and other stakeholders in a shared effort to recognize, protect, and further develop one of Sagudayโs most distinctive forms of artistic expression.
For decades, Sagudayeรฑo artisans have transformed ordinary butterfly leaves into intricate and exquisite fossilized flowers through creativity, patience, precision, and craftsmanship. More than a simple livelihood product, each piece reflects the makerโs artistic vision and ability to transform a natural material into something enduring and beautiful. Through years of continuous practice and development, fossilized flower-making has evolved into a distinct creative expression strongly identified with Gamis and Saguday. Its longevity and place within the community have, in turn, given the art form an important place in the municipalityโs cultural identity and heritage.
The proposed ordinance seeks to give formal recognition to this homegrown creative industry while creating a stronger foundation for its continued growth. Beyond designation, the measure is envisioned to strengthen support for local makers through product and design development, skills enhancement, innovation, marketing and branding, sustainable sourcing of materials, livelihood development, and tourism promotion. It also opens opportunities to position fossilized flowers not only as a locally made product, but as a signature artistic and tourism experience that can distinguish Saguday in Quirino Province and beyond.
Once enacted, the ordinance is expected to serve as an important policy framework for developing fossilized flowers as a creative industry, economic opportunity, and flagship tourism offering of the municipality. It can help create greater visibility and market opportunities for local makers while encouraging younger generations to explore, innovate, and build upon the artistic knowledge that has developed in Gamis over the years. In doing so, Saguday can preserve the essence of the art while allowing it to evolve with contemporary creativity and changing markets.
More importantly, the proposed declaration affirms that heritage is not confined to what is inheritedโit can also be created through the creativity of people and strengthened through years of meaningful practice. Fossilized flowers embody this evolution. What began as an artistic expression using a simple natural material has grown into a distinctive product, a source of livelihood, a tourism attraction, and ultimately, a meaningful part of Sagudayโs cultural identity.
Every handcrafted fossilized flower carries more than its delicate beauty. It represents imagination, skill, ingenuity, resilience, and the unique creative spirit of Sagudayeรฑosโturning something ordinary from nature into something extraordinary by hand. As Saguday continues to advance under the banner of Bayang Mas Pinahusay, the initiative is a powerful reminder that the municipalityโs greatest assets are not only its natural landscapes, but also the creativity of its people.
