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Wednesday, November 09, 2005
BIMP goes to China
By Decius "Yoyong" Esmedalla
IT'S hard to be in the limelight.
This is the feeling I felt during my four-days stay in Nanning City, Gungaxi, China from October 19-22, 2005 for the 2nd CAEXPO 2005 (China-ASEAN Expo), as visitors of the expo especially the locals who would grab me and the other Filipino delegates for picture taking, the moment I arrived at the Nanning International Convention Center.
Wearing the Matigsalog costume, a tribe found in the highlands of Bukidnon, I feel so flattered for I am being pictured from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the head of the Philippine delegation, DOT 12 regional director Sohura Dimaampao who was wearing her traditional T'boli costume.
"Lisod gyud diay ang life sa artista," now I knew the feeling. But despite that, I felt so proud for I was able to showcase how beautiful our culture is. The visitors who were nationals of the ASEAN member countries were so attracted to the Filipino culture especially the Mindanao culture. If I let those people pay for every picture taking, I would have been richer than before, but I charged it to experience for no amount of money supercede that moment.
We never fade to amazed visitors and guests, and modesty aside, our presence contribute to the continuous influx of visitors to the BIMP-EAGA Booth and Philippine Booth that reached to approximately three thousand per day.
I was more proud to be a Filipino. It was there that I realized how rich and wonderful our culture is and how gifted we are as a people. The Mindanao regions and Palawan showcased its products and destinations in the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area) booth.
The different native products of Northern Mindanao like dyed abaca bags, native inspired headdress, native jewelry boxes, fossilized leaves fans and fabrics, handwoven cloth (balud) from Lanao del Norte and hinabol from Bukidnon and some paper products from Misamis Oriental were displayed in the booths and was selling like hotcakes.
Colorful Malongs of region 12, Muslim brasswares, decors and ornaments are on display.
Information materials such as brochures, flyers, regional posters of regions 9,10,11,12 and 13 and Palawan were also prominently displayed at the business area and so with various delicacies from Davao (durian candies and preserve, mango fruit and mangosteen) and Region 12 (tiating-made of rice and deep friend like bihon that is hot and crispy and sweet).
The BIMP booth answered the cultural component of the said expo. The Philippine delegation outlined the country as a potential market for China. I can say that there is a big chance to expand our market to China when it comes to trade and tourism for there is a high interest and extra ordinary appreciation of our cultures and products especially by the locals.
It is heartwarming to know that they were so interested to know more about our country.
The place
I never expect to visit the bustling metropolis of Nanning that soon, for my travel was just announced days before my departure. With the abrupt announcement of my travel, I never prepare myself for any Chinese words.
Guangxi is the only coastal region among the 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of China covered by the western developing program. Located in the southern part of China and covers a total land area of 236,700 sq. km. with the biggest population of the country's minority nationalities.
The province is fronting Southeast Asia, thus, it is not only a major gateway to these neighboring ASEAN countries, but also boosts of its unique geographical advantages to foreign borders, coastlines, and river access thus forming a most convenient trading routes to the interior. It is also the major hub for transportation, providing easy access to ASEAN countries in which the Philippines is included.
The said expo aims to strengthen economic and cultural ties among its ASEAN members altogether with the host country, China. Through this event, we are given the opportunity to put an edge to present what we can offer to the rest of the world as far as tourism is concern, and discover our living affiliations that bonded us all these years.
Another experience that makes this trip more memorable is our language barrier, counted individuals can speak the English language and it is very hard to communicate with them from the airport to our hotel, they seldom speaks the universal language, the reason why we're hesitant to go around the city, but despite that, the experience is something very worthwhile.
As we leave Nanning, I brought with me three Chinese words, Fei Tang Hao for very good, Ni Hao for hello, and Chie-Chie for thank you.
With that I would say Chie-Chie to all who made my trip possible.
(November 9, 2005 issue)
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