Filipino Soulful Craftsmanship in 60th Manila FAME

From carving to weaving to shell inlay to leather embossing to upcycling, visitors of the 60th Manila FAME on October 16-19 will witness the unfolding of the Philippines’ rich and colorful craft heritage through a showcase of hometown handcrafted pieces by passionate Filipino craftsmen whose skills have been passed on through generations of artisans.

This edition of Manila FAME, the country’s premier design and lifestyle event, will highlight the country’s cultural narrative at the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Marketplace, a priority program of the Bureau of Domestic Trade (BDT), in partnership with the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“True to CITEM’s commitment of promoting the global competitiveness of Philippine products, this edition intends to emphasize the local communities’ age-old techniques and their use of homegrown materials to craft items that narrate the vibrant stories of history, heritage, and talent of the Filipino craftsman,” said Rosvi Gaetos, executive director of CITEM.

Various towns, provinces, and regions will take pride in their distinctive products at the OTOP Marketplace, transforming the abundant natural resources available to them into masterpieces of Philippine craft. Local artisans from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), South Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Southern and Central Mindanao, will unveil their exquisite techniques and styles to unearth distinctive woodwork.

Craftsmen from Ilocos, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Central and Eastern Visayas, and Davao tell their stories through weaving cotton, palm, pandan, and ticog (a type of local wild grass), celebrating the country’s rich culture and traditions. The art of upcycling waste materials such as coconut shells, leaves, or newspapers by Bohol, Cagayan Valley, and National Capital Region (NCR) speaks not only the talents of the individual local artisans but also their genuine appreciation for nature and their natural environment.

“Ultimately, CITEM strives to generate a pool of market-ready manufacturers that create innovative and market-driven products made from locally sourced raw materials in order to bring livelihood to their local communities,” Gaetos added.

CITEM, the export promotions arm of the DTI, organizes the Manila FAME, which nurtures and promotes upcoming designers and manufacturers. The bi-annual event is a global platform for the country’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which features export-quality products such as furniture and furnishings, holiday gifts and décor, garments, and fashion accessories designed and crafted in the Philippines for the global market.

Manila FAME, slated at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay, is the second longest-running trade show in the Asia- Pacific, and is the only trade event in the country that is approved by Union des Foires Internationales (UFI), the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.