BANGUED, Abra (PIA) — Various local products of the province of Abra were showcased at the Cordillera Trade Fair, the highlights of the Cordillera Day celebration hosted by the province on July 14 and 15.
The trade fair organized by the Provincial Government and the Department of Trade and Industry featured 12 Abrenian micro, small and medium enterprises that displayed their native delicacies and local products such as the abel, red rice, Abra coffee, bamboo crafts, wines, vegetable chips, and more.
DTI-Abra Officer-in-Charge Marvin Arcangel reported that the Cordillera Day Trade Fair’s total sales reached P244,222. The Abel products recorded the highest sales with a total of P165,000.
Abel cloth producer Prima Briones from Dolores said that loom weaving became her stable source of income for a long time now. Her weaving career traces back to her mother’s lineage from the loom weaving village of Bulbulala in La Paz town.
“Dakkel ti bentahe mi ditoy especially kadagiti nanang nga awan ti trabaho na kumitkita dan. Kasla met lang kanyak nga saan nga nakalpas, daytoy ti kumitkitaak. Kaasi ni Apo isu ti nangbibiag kaniami, ken dagiti paged-adalek nga ubbing ko,” Briones said.
[We have big advantage especially the housewives, they are also earning. Like me who did not finish my studies, this is my source of income. Thank God we have livelihood and we are able to send our kids to school.]
Briones is a farmer but since there’s only one cropping season a year in Dolores, she shifts to loom weaving after the rice harvest.
“Maminsan lang ti cropping mi ti makatawen diay barangay mi, ket makitak nga dakkel met ti kitak ditoy isu nga daytoy panagabel langen ti ubraek. Mayat kuma ti agmula ti tabako ti 2nd cropping ngem ad-adu latta ti malakok ti abel,” Briones said.
[There’s single cropping in a year in our barangay. I found out that I earn more in loom weaving, so I focused on it. Tobacco farming maybe good also for the second cropping but I still earn more in loom weaving].
The products at the Cordillera Day Trade were sold to the delegates and visitors from the different provinces and government offices across the region. (CAGT-PIA CAR, Abra)
