Yellow Corn is one of the most important crops in the Municipality of San Juan. It is used as a raw material for food and industrial products such as starch, corn oil, beverages gluten, snacks and the like. It also constitutes about 50% of the feeds for the local livestock and poultry industries.
The broom making industry is the alternative source of livelihood next to farming in this upland municipality, Tiger grass, the main raw material for brooms, grows abundantly in this town. Towards the development of the industry, the LGU of San Gabriel has allotted a space in the farmer’s center as a bulk-buying center for brooms and has made available funds for micro-lending to tiger grass farmers.
Home furnishing sector was identified since 2000 as one of the priority sectors of the province. As such, the DTI-La Union Provincial Office has been focusing its assistance to this sector. Already flourishing, the woodworking products and furniture of Rosario, which are mainly from old woods of houses, posts and other structures, have found their way to the international market, which is a remarkable development of the sector today.
Home furnishing sector was identified since 2000 as one of the priority sectors of the province. As such, the DTI-La Union Provincial Office has been focusing its assistance to this sector. Already flourishing, the woodworking products and furniture of Pugo, which are mainly from old woods of houses, posts and other structures, have found their way to the international market, which is a remarkable development of the sector today.
Tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima) is a minor forest product that thrives well in the mountainous areas of Santol. Matured grass flowers are the main raw material in softbroom making and used in the manufacture of various display items. Its flower stalks are also used as adornment of picture frames. It is also used as giveaways to visitors and tourists who drop by the town. Sales generated from tiger grass provide a source of extra income to families. It is the major non-food commodity crop of the municipality. A total of 130 hectares is planted with tiger grass benefiting 216 farmers distributed mainly in the upland barangays Puguil, Ramot, Tubaday, Sasaba and Sapdaan and some parts of Mangaan and Lettac Sur.
Dried fish, locally known as daing is abundantly found along the streets of Barangay Damortis. Various kinds of dried fish such as pingka, dalag baybay, sapsap, ipusan, monamon, tuyo and the like are sold to locals and tourists alike. Daing is not only served as a viand but also considered as a finger food or pulutan.
Basi is a noted Ilocos wine fermented from selected sugar cane extract with a mixture of “bubod” (specially formulated yeast) and “duhat” bark. The bark is used to enhance the deep color of the wine. Naguilian has always been home of the smooth-tasting “basi”. The research and development towards a standardized and mechanized “basi” process is being done at the 2.3-hectare Naguilian Agri-Complex. The Municipal Basi Development Committee was tasked to coordinate with other project stakeholders. “Basi” was chosen a few years back by the Naguilian River Basin Development Program (NRBDP) as its main industry for development.
Varying in colors, sizes and shapes, the famous Luna pebbles reflect magnificently during sunset. These are sold in Metro Manila and exported abroad. Since time immemorial their abundance has become a wonder --- with the stones coming endlessly from the sea.
