THERE are over 300 stalls at this edition of the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) Bagong Pilipinas National Trade Fair, with the vendors coming from all over the Philippines, occupying Megatrade Halls 1 through 3 at SM Megamall. The fair is still ongoing, running from Feb. 18 to 22.
BusinessWorld took a leisurely stroll around the fair, before the barrage of VIPs and shoppers (it is open and free to the public). We were surprised to find heads of some of the country’s artisanal fairs also walking around, perhaps to scout new talent.
To the right of the stage is a whole section devoted to piña (barongs and Filipiniana dresses and such), but coming from different regions, so one can make comparisons between the work of each. There are wooden goods inlaid with shell from Lanao del Sur.
There’s a little bit of chaos when it comes to the grouping this year (we were expecting them to be arranged by region) but there is some order in some sections when it comes to similar product types. For example, there’s a whole alley devoted to footwear from Liliw. (We liked the espadrilles from Aishe fashion, which have been seen on some beauty queens, embroidered with images of ambulant vendors. Fancy wearing taho or balut vendors on your tootsies?) Their Laguna neighbors occupy stalls in the same section, but then, so do similar crafts from other towns and cities. Just behind them though are shoes from the country’s shoe capital Marikina (there are several stalls of loafers).
There are several booths featuring coconut-based products, spilling over from the Philippine Sustainability Pavilion. That pavilion features furniture, textiles, and other products made with coconut-based materials, natural fibers, and native grasses.
Nearby are coconut and chocolate products (not just from storied Davao anymore, but from as far as Benguet). Strangely enough, the section for potted plants can also be found here, featuring succulents and such, but also one stall with carnivorous plants (such as Pitcher Plants and Venus Flytraps).
Product prices can range from P50 for a small pouch to the high thousands for jewelry from Meycauayan, Bulacan. Last year, the 10 DTI fairs held brought in P665.13 million in cash sales, orders, and “ongoing negotiations,” according to a press release. The DTI plans to hold 13 trade shows for this year — thus ensuring that there will always be a chance to score a find, made by fellow Filipinos. — JL Garcia
