Innovative Hand Woven Products Unroll at Sandugo Expo
For the 18th consecutive year, Bohol's best and most innovative hand woven products will unroll as this year's Sandugo Trade Expo at Island City Mall, Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
Considered one the country's longest running provincial trade fairs, the Sandugo Expo in 2010 adopts "Materials Fusion - Heritage for the Future," as its theme.
This year's trade event will not only feature the famed world class product lines and handicraft prototypes, processed food, fashion accessories and GTH creations, but also highlight the first output of the initiatives by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), DTI sources shared.
Central Visayas weavers are now taking advantage of indigenous materials and its popularity among foreign buyers, DTI explained on the collaborative endeavor with ECCP.
According to the local trade office, the increasing consumer preference for environment-friendly hand woven products pushed its materials research and development program to conceptualize innovations which comes out first at this year's product showcase.
ECCP presently helps Bohol raffia weavers develop new design patterns and mixed media applications based on the latest trends.
Hand Woven Products |
Bohol is one of the region's leading suppliers of good quality raffia applying innovative and artistic designs that exporters expect more Filipino made products to hit big in the international market, DTI added.
"As demand for Filipino products increases, so does profit for exporters. This provides more work opportunities for weavers" DTI sources explain how this should be a good news for the economy.
"By mixed media applications, weavers use recycled materials such as newspapers, plastic twine with raffia or indigenous materials as buri and abaca in incorporating in their new designs," says DTI Bohol Provincial director Ma. Elena Arbon.
First tapped by Inabanga and Tubigon weavers, the program will soon be offered to weaving centers in other Bohol towns as the demand volume increases, she said.
Now in its seventh month, introducing innovation to Bohol's weaving centers and hand woven products has also occupied ECCP and the DTI in Central Visayas.
Moreover, past guest exhibitors from other regions are expected during the Sandugo Trade Expo.
In its 18th year, the Sandugo trade expo has been a venue for a series of product development initiatives geared towards improving the quality and design of the export oriented crafts and ethnic food in Central Visayas. (DTI/PIA-Bohol)
