Help make a family eat. Spread #buy Marawi , at the Manila FAME 2019, World Trade Center, Pasay on October 17 to 19 para maubos sana products na di na kelangan ma ibalik pa sana to Marawi ng women weavers.
Langkits are at 250 pesos, sequined umbrellas at 3,500 pesos, landap malongs at 2,500, etc..
Two hundred fifty pesos could help a family.
From evacuation , conversation , information to consumption.
Thanking the DTI for this rare opportunity where Marawi bakwits (internally displaced persons or IDPs) will display their home made products at the Artisan Village of Manila FAME.
The village will transport visitors to the grandeur of centuries-old intricate culture that lives on today. Baur brassware, inaul /woven fabric, palapa, handicrafts etc will be on display drawing even foreigners.
Support with #buyMranOW.
A mix of ethnic and modern wear will be modelled. Maranao-inspired wear has been award winning in various pageants around the world.
A Marawi-based weaver will demonstrate the intricate detail of design per thread which is like no other.
Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines, is home to 18 tribal groups. Each tribal group has their own unique identity and customs, but their colorful way of life and products such as woven products show that they have a common tradition.
Unfortunately because of a long history of conflict, the island has not been able to harness its vast potential resulting in pockets of poverty.
The island also hosts the poorest of the poor, the Bangsamoro, whose Marawi and Lanao residents were gravely affected by the Marawi crisis of May 2017.
Evacuation affects the cities and the whole of Mindanao and even the Philippines because victims have evacuated to various parts of the country to find income while Marawi rehabilitation is still to be done.
In the meantime, such tragedy and poverty should not be a setback in showcasing the beauty of the island and the products that its residents make.
Mindanao artisans need markets to display their dying heritage as well so that they can support their families’ income.
In a social media age, the young generation needs to be inspired, to be exposed to the arts and culture of their elders.
In furtherance of this, the participation would provide a platform for the tapestry of Mindanao-made products to be shown.
It is an open space for the small-time, home-based businesses to display their ware and find potential investors.
The fair is timely to urge all business sectors to champion the cause of entrepreneurs, artisans and small-time business of Mindanao.
We urge exhibitors to maximize and use the space for informing the public about their organization and products through posters and online. (MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Samira Ali Gutoc-Tomawis, Ll.B., co-founder of the Young Moro Professionals resigned as Commissioner of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission in late May 2017, days after the Marawi Crisis started, citing personal reasons and policy questions. Samira was one of the organizers of the Ranao Rescue Team, a group set up to respond to the crisis. She had earlier served as an assemblywoman, women sector, of the Regional Legislative Assembly, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; was former director, Al-Amanah Islamic Bank, Inc. and former director of the Marawi Resort Hotel, Inc. She was the lone woman candidate of the Otso-Diretso senatorial slate in the May 13, 2019 mid-term elections and landed first among senatorial candidates in her province of Lanao del Sur).
