Did you know that in Ilocos Sur, you can find unique and delicious versions of your favorite ube jam, peanut butter, and wine?
These are now displayed and available for purchase at the eight-day Magnificent Magic 7 (MM7) Tourism and Trade Fair at Paseo de Bantay in Bantay town, Ilocos Sur.
The fair started on July 11 and features a variety of local products from the MM7 member municipalities, including Santa Cruz, Cervantes, Santa Lucia, Alilem, Sugpon, Suyo, and Quirino.
An array of local delights is stealing the spotlight, from ube jam and peanut butter to exquisite wines.
This event is indeed a paradise for food and tourism enthusiasts.
But that’s not all because a diverse range of products like ginger tea, turmeric tea, veggie noodles, ube flour/powder, sugarcane vinegar, rice varieties (black, red, and glutinous), tuna empanadas, peanut products, stunning labtang (twiner vine) handicrafts, longganisa, chicken nuggets, specialty coffee, fresh fruits, and vegetables are also available for purchase.
Organized by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and the member municipalities of MM7, the event aims to feature tourism sites and market products from MM7 municipalities, establish long-term markets and partnerships for MM7 products, and present MM7 as a platform for collaboration in Southern Ilocos Sur and Metro Vigan.
In his message, NAPC Director III Alexis Lapiz said this is a huge opportunity for the local producers to display and sell their products, which he said is a big message not only to the entire Ilocos Region but to the entire Philippines that there are these best practices of MM7 that advocate the promotion of local products by Ilocos Sur residents.
He said, “[Oo] Ito ay ginagawa natin sa buong Pilipinas, pero kailangan nating i-appreciate kung ano ang meron dito sa ating probinsya—ito ang mensahe natin dito. Kaya nakakatuwa na nandito rin ang mga iba’t ibang ahensya kasi ang isang isinusulong ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ay whole of government, whole of society approach at kitang-kita ko iyong estratehiya na iyan dito.”
(Yes, we are doing this all over the Philippines, but we need to appreciate what we have here in our province—this is our message here. So we are grateful for the presence of various agencies because one of the main goals of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., is the implementation of a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach, and I can see that strategy here.)
“Ito ang kailangan natin—isang malaking boses para maramdaman at malaman nila na mayroong isang platform of local convergence na sama-sama at aktibo na nagpo-promote ng kahalagahan ng local tourism industries at nagpo-promote ng ating mga produkto kasi kailangan natin ito. We need [local] businesses to flourish,” he added.
(This is what we need—a huge voice for them to feel and know that there is a platform of local convergence that is actively promoting the importance of local tourism industries and promoting our products because we need it.)
Some of the best-selling products at the fair are the ube by-products like jam, halaya, wine, and piyaya produced by the members of Sugpon Agriculture Cooperative in Sugpon town.
General Manager Neophel Lubrin outlined the challenges the cooperative has faced since registering with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) two years ago.
These challenges include setting up and training staff, complying with regulations with limited resources, introducing new products and gaining market share, and ensuring consistent product quality to meet customer commitments.
Lubrin highlighted how the local government unit (LGU) and various national government agencies provided solutions to the challenges mentioned.
The LGU promoted their products by incorporating them as tokens, generating return customers who initially tried the product through these initiatives.
Additionally, the LGU assisted with logistics for product delivery and training venues. National agencies, on the other hand, offered a range of support, including training programs, packaging assistance (subject to budget), marketing initiatives, and even equipment for processing and product improvement (depending on budget availability).
Apart from these, a processing center that will be used by the cooperative for food processing is under construction.
Once they receive their license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Lubrin said they are expecting to expand their market visibility.
He ended, “We appreciate this initiative; having another national agency assist us on this aspect would greatly help us increase commercial attention and brand equity, increasing market share and bottom-line results.”
“Hindi maikakaila na ang pag-unlad ng isang organization ay di lang nakasalalay sa mismong pamamalakad nito—malaking bahagi ang mga tulong na natatanggap from external parties, kagaya ng LGUs, national agencies para mas mapadali at masustain ang pag-unlad nito,” he added.
(The development of an organization does indeed not only depend on the management itself; a large part is the assistance received from external parties such as LGUs and national agencies to facilitate and sustain its development.)
The MM7 is committed to a vision of community-based agri-ecotourism that aligns with the national government’s One Town, One Product Program (OTOP), aiming to boost the prosperity of communities through active participation.
By uniting the leadership of all seven municipalities, the program’s effectiveness is expected to multiply, leading to even greater success.
Don’t hesitate—head to Paseo de Bantay now, support local products, and be part of this impactful movement! (AMB/JMCQ, PIA Ilocos Sur)
