Community-crafted products to feature at Kabuhayan trade fair

Published October 1, 2015 4:18pm

A worked creates fossilized flowers using the fibrous leaves of guyabano, guava, avocado and cherry. The idea to commercialize fossilized flowers came from the Quirino provincial government as part of the DTI’s One Town, One Product campaign. The flowers are now a major source of income in the towns of Cabarroguis, Maddela, Saguday and Diffun, which supply decor shops in Manila and abroad.

A fundraising event organized by the Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc. (CSFI) hopes to showcase the best of Filipino products.

The Kabuhayan National Livelihood Trade Fair, which will be open from October 15 to 18 at SM Megamall, will have 97 booths of Filipino-made personal effects and accessories, health and wellness supplements, home furnishings, and delicacies.

The trade fair aims to give small and medium Filipino entrepreneurs the opportunity to show off their products and widen their market reach.

The exhibitors at the trade fair include:

Lupe Saenz, a leather shoe company from Marikina that offers custom-made ballerina flats;
Meycauayan Jewelry Industry Association, which offers export quality jewelry;
Villar Sipag Foundation, which offers bags and footwear made from fibers produced from water lilies;
ELMN Enterprises from Rizal, which will market snakeskin bags, wallets, and accessories;
La Herminia Piña Weaving from Kalibo, which will carry barong and woven products;
I Love Quirino Caravan, which will feature fossilized flowers;
Gotad Ad Ifugao, which will sell stone crafts, wood products, and banig; and
Alavar's Seafood Restaurant from Zamboanga City, which will sell its famous Alavar sauce.

"We would like to celebrate the success of our local artisans and entrepreneurs by promoting their products and at the same time support underprivileged children through our partnership with World Vision," said CSFI chairperson and president Joy Belmonte.

Part of the trade fair's proceeds will be donated to World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide.

Water hyacinths growing in two Las Piñas rivers are regularly harvested to be used as the raw materials for native baskets and other practical or decorative crafts, which are now part of the livelihood activities of the poor families living along the riverbanks.

CSFI is a non-profit organization composed of the 270 spouses, siblings, and children
of the members of the House of Representatives. The group conducts socio-civic activities to help reduce poverty, foster education, rehabilitate abused women, and promote tourism and sharing of best practices across regions.

The chairpersons for this year's trade fair are Yanee Alvarez, spouse of Palawan 1st District Congressman Franz Alvarez, Joy Enverga, spouse of Quezon 1st District Congressman Mark Enverga, and Looie Lobregat-Ocampo, daughter of Zamboanga City 1st District Congressman Celso Lobregat.

The Kabuhayan National Livelihood Trade Fair will be held at the Megatrade Hall 2 in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. — Trisha Macas/BM, GMA News

Tags: tradefair