What to bring to the 2019 National Arts & Crafts Fair

MANILA, Philippines – What do you have to bring to this year’s National Arts & Crafts Fair? Here are some tips, based on our visit to SM Megamall for the opening ceremony of this Philippine artisan show.

A refillable bottle for forest honey

Did you know that to retain all the natural content of honey, you have to put it in a glass jar? Some plastic containers can transfer chemicals to your honey.

“It may just be a little, but that is still chemical,” said a Malaysian researcher during the science panel in the 2019 Madhu Duniya, or the biggest gathering of forest honey and bee experts in Asia, which was recently held in Manila. In her research, she found phthalate in honey samples kept in plastic containers. 

Ideas for customization

Fancy a design for wood earrings? How about buri (palm) packaging? Bohol’s Crissander accepts custom-made designs, or commission design, in addition to its laser-made collections of wood earrings with designs inspired by nature, such as leaves and butterflies. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) helped them acquire the laser technology. 

 

An Aklanon women’s cooperative also does customized requests at their booth called UGWAD, or United Group of Weavers at Dapdap, Incorporated. When we visited, they were busy making handy buri packaging because a buyer requested it. 

“The buyer said he’ll buy all we can make,” said the UGWAD founder.  

A chance for barako and robusta

True, arabica is the preferred coffee in cafés. But give barako and robusta a try, too.

Cavite-based Project Beans could convince you to do so. You might also love its barako coffee just as it is – no creamer or sugar needed. 

Petronila Causing, the daughter of the coffee farm owner, shared that coffee farming is challenging. In their experience, farmers leave for construction jobs. But she’s not giving up on it yet, especially as her family is getting the support of the Department of Agriculture via fertilizer subsidies.

She’s also more determined to apply scientific methods in their coffee farming. According to the Philippine Coffee Board, robusta coffee is catching up in terms of quality. 

Curiosity about current market demands

Abaca bags in vibrant colors are this year’s choice for Sto Rosario MPS in Aklan. “If last year our product displays were all abaca, this time we mixed it with dyed buri,” the group said. It also played with hues, making a monochrome abaca bag more attractive. 

A listening ear

All of the showcased products from 277 exhibitors across the Philippines are stories waiting to be told. The Lanao del Sur booth was specifically mentioned during the opening ceremony because it features the products of Marawi.

Bangon Marawi, a group supporting the displaced people in conflict-stricken Marawi, brings the Meranao’s distinct crafts in wood and metal. Did you know that Lanao del Sur is in “Tugaya,” meaning a UNESCO home for culture and heritage?

According to Abdul Rashid Macaia, chairman of Bangon Marawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, they would be holding exhibits in more malls in Manila these coming months. 

Appreciation for eco-friendly stuff

Barcelona PH from Sorsogon uses bacbac (dried abaca leaf sheath) to make covered baskets. Bacbac is supposedly waste, but locals have found a way to turn it into quality raw material. 

In Albay, the pili nut shell is integrated in a dress. While Naga-based Karaw Craftsventures is turning old, discarded clothes to make adorable dolls. Among the bestsellers are the Filipino and Bicol mythical characters, especially the manananggal doll.

Asked why it became their bestseller, Founder Paul Orpiada said the way they presented it is a big factor. “That our mythical characters often depicted as scary can be adorable too,” he said.

Bring your friends, family, and loved ones so you can share moments of yet another discovery of our heterogeneity and realize that it is indeed where our beauty and strength lie as a nation. Catch it until Sunday, October 27. – Rappler.com