Let's sale away

It’s September, so let the bazaar and tiangge season begin! Filipinos like going to bazaars because virtually every item there is home-made and handcrafted, in contrast to mass-produced items in department stores and supermarkets.

Last Thursday, I gave you a glimpse of the Salcedo Market, a specialty market in the heart of Makati, which is open every Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. After I visited the market, I headed for the Megamall Trade Hall, for another interesting "market," the Kabuhayan Trade Fair.

The great political divide took a backseat at this very festive livelihood trade fair organized by the congressional spouses. The three-day event, dubbed as Kabuhayan 2005, provided a venue that showcased the finest products of the land, and promoted goodwill even among bickering politicians.

The Kabuhayan Trade Fair was organized by the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. (CSFI) to promote local products and industries, but the occasion also celebrated kinship. This was made more manifest by Bebet Nograles and Marivic Guingona, who emceed the affair. Mrs. Nograles is the wife of the majority floor leader while her co-emcee, Marivic, is the wife of a leader in the minority bloc, Rep. TG Guingona. While their husbands took different stands in their politics, the spouses remain united for a purpose.

Insiders give the credit to the charismatic president of CSFI for 10 years now, Manay Gina de Venecia. "When it comes to public service, politics don’t stand a chance at CSFI. Here, we cross partylines to serve our people," says Mrs. de Venecia.

Her husband, Speaker Joe de Venecia Jr. along with Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr., Rep. Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Mandaluyong City Mayor Neptali Gonzales II were among the special guests at the fair. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also paid a visit to the delight of the spouses and exhibitors. Also seen were Trade Undersecretary Carissa Cruz, Undersecretary Mel Alonzo and former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman.

In his speech, the Speaker highlighted the importance of the "One Town, One Product Policy" (OTOP) being promoted by the DTI. "Our battlecry, our new slogan for the Philippines now should be: We produce or we perish; we export or we die."

He also called the trade fair a perfect "jumping-off" to display these "ideas and visions." "The oil hikes are endangering every oil-importing nation in the world. Improving our exports, which currently stand at $40 billion, is our hope to beat this."

Favila, for his part, encouraged the congressmen to support the Speaker’s proposal. He also reported that the DTI has recently launched the "Generic Packaging Program," which packages products safely and economically.

The three-day trade fair made available to the public the diverse products of even the most remote barangays around the country. Among the wares on sale were wooden furniture from Tuguegarao, baskets from the Visayas, embroidered piña and wood carving from Laguna, abaca products from Bicol, bangus from Dagupan, the scrumptious kakanin from Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga, bagnet from Ilocos, succulent mangoes from Guimaras and batik from Mindanao.

Undersecretary Nelly Villafuerte, wife of Rep. Luis Villafuerte of the second district of Camarines Sur, was the chairperson of the event. She was assisted by Lita Hizon, wife of Rep. Joey Hizon of District 5 in Manila.

I visited the fair and bought for myself a kilo of seedless dalandan. I like going to trade fairs because they yield such interesting buys from all the regions. It’s pasalubong shopping under one roof. Unlike the Saturday Salcedo Market, however, the trade fair was only a three-day event.

Hope it makes a comeback before the Christmas season!

* * *

The Assumption College Batch 1980 invites you to the annual "ASSUMPTION BAZAAR" on Sept. 25 to Oct. 2. It will be held at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Intercontinental, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be more than a hundred concessionaires offering a wide variety of merchandise. Unique to the Assumption Bazaar is the participation of alumnae who personally design and sell one-of-a-kind items not found in other bazaars. Assumption mission schools around the country, who are beneficiaries of the bazaar proceeds, also sell special food items and indigenous products especially made by the sisters and the members of their many livelihood projects.

So, do your Christmas shopping early and at the same time help support the Assumption charities.

(For more information, call the Assumption Alumnae Office at 894-3561 or 894-3580.)

* * *

You may e-mail me at [email protected]