SATISFY your cravings for local food, novelty items, music and culture in the week-long Kadayawan Fair Trade, which starts today, Monday, at NCCC Mall of Davao.
In partnership with the Mag-Negosyo ‘Ta Day program, with main exhibits at the City Council lobby, NCCC Mall Davao brings in more exhibitors at its Parking C, the satellite exhibit venue, to feature Davao and Mindanao-made novelty items and food products until August 23.
Partner barangays in Calinan, Marilog, Tugbok, Toril and Paquibato districts, assisted by the City Agriculturists' Office, will showcase various ornamental plants, fresh fruits and vegetables, novelties, processed food items and root crops.
Shoppers will find delight in chocolates and strawberry jams made by Baganihan women or find new cleansing agents with Barangay 21-C's detergent soaps.
Also for sale are Gabay Coop's accessories, wood crafts from Our Lady of Victory, and Uswag Bubai's various recycled products, where Uswag, composed of women from eight selected barangays in Toril, flourish through the Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) under the City Mayor's Office.
The City Cooperative Office partners with the Federation of Davao Dairy Farmers to offer fresh milk and its other flavored varieties. Processed fruits from Daveco and Tawan-Tawan Corporation like pineapple and durian will be featured.
Greenwave Development Coop will display herbal medicines while the Baganihan Agri-Eco Ventures Coop presents cutflowers, strawberries, and vegetables. Native products produced by the Matigsalog Women's Coop can be bought as well.
Davao's well-loved Porky's Best cracklings, cold cuts from rising Papats processed food products will occupy booths alongside goat milk and other goat by-products from the Goat Industry Development Council.
Althea Lucas, NCCC Group's marketing manager, said "while the week long exhibit will display food and other products from our barangay micro-entrepreneurs, the event intends to bring out the best of Davao and give pride to our indigenous groups. The Panagtagbo performances, aimed to liven up Davao City's multicultural heritage, start at 3 p.m."
On the fair trade's opening day, tribes from the Klata and Maguindanao will render their ritual dances while the Kalagan and Ata groups perform on day two. On day three, the Maranao and Tagabawa-Manobo groups will bring back-to-back music at the trade grounds. The Tausug and Uvu-Manuvu peoples will grace the stage on August 19.
Final performances will be on August 21 from the Sama group to be followed by the Matigsalog tribe.
Schools are invited to witness the exhibits and scheduled performances. "We are pleased that the Commission on Higher Education is also endorsing it to the region's colleges and universities to support our barangay micro-entrepreneurs and indigenous groups," Lucas said.