SALLAPADAN, Abra (PIA) – Local products, fresh crops, and creative crafts were showcased in the Sal-lapadan Agri-Trade Fair that highlighted this year’s Tognawa Festival.
Said trade fair that opened from March 21-24, 2025 gave the different barangays of the town a venue to promote and sell their local products such as vegetables and fruits, handicrafts, snacks and pastries.
“Ikkan mi ti importansya dagitoy trade fair ta ikkan mi ti gundaway nga mai-promote dagiti produkto ti nadumduma a barangay,” explained Sal-lapadan Tourism Officer Marcelino Manngay.
The fair also featured pure honey which is a signature product of Sal-lapadan.
“Ti Sal-lapadan ket known for its pure honey, talaga nga awan ti laok na ti this time ket harvest time ti honey. Ada met kadagitoy barangay ket daytoy soft broom ken dagitoy natnateng,” he added.
Meanwhile, Subosob Women’s Organization’s Gemma Nayal shared that the trade fair helps farmers and local organizations to market their products and improve their livelihood.
“Dagitoy nga products ket makatulong ti mannalon ta dagidiay inmula da ket mailako pang-food consumption kasta met kadakami nga women’s organization nga nu agaramid kami met ti puto ket mailako para iti pagbiagan ti pamilya,” she shared.
Aside from the trade fair, various activities such as indigenous games, float parade, cookfest, and grand parade were also held to celebrate culture, community, and progress.
Tognawa, from which the festival was derived from, is a Tingguian practice of helping each other, in essence the “bayanihan” culture of families and the community. (JJMT-PIA-CAR, Abra)
