The country’s export promotion and international marketing authority has brought world market attention to the handicrafts produced by the Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs) formed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in almost 400 locations nationwide.
The SLTs’ export-quality products generated through the NCCA program were unveiled to the foreign buyers by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem) through the recently-concluded Manila FAME.
Manila FAME is the country’s premier global event for such lifestyle exports as furniture, furnishings, holiday gifts, décor, and fashion accessories for the trillion-dollar world market.
Exhibited at the Manila FAME by the NCCA were the products generated by the SLT communities in Davao, Sarangani, Marawi, Aklan, Palawan, Ifugao, Benguet and Kalinga, among others, all made of indigenous materials like metals, ceramics, wood, leather and fiber.
These were handcrafted in various combinations to create blouses, bags, baskets and other lifestyle accessories that turned out to be popular among both foreign and local buyers.
Guiding the SLTs in product development are 48 artists from all over the country who were tapped by the NCCA under its Master’s Creation program.
The objective is to ensure the preservation and continuity of the country’s cultural heritage.
Citem reports that foreign and local visitors at Manila FAME bought significant quantities of these unique products.
The proceeds will help finance NCCA programs and generate livelihood for the communities that rose to the challenge to share part of their culture with a bigger market.