Aklan Ati-Atihan trade fair and garden show opens

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - The best of Aklan's products will be featured in the Aklan Ati-Atihan Trade Fair and Garden Show at the Kalibo Pastrana Park from January 10 to 17.

The event coincided with the annual Ati-Atihan celebration held every third week of January.

Thirty four exhibitors will showcase feature their quality products and services – from furniture, indigenous fibers and crafts, processed foods, housewares, furnishings, horticulture and One-Town, One-Product (OTOP). These include seven exhibitors in the indigenous fibers and crafts sector - Aparicio ARBs Multi-purpose cooperative (abaca fiber/leaf sheath twines), Culdora Pina Cloth (pina fabrics, pina barong, pina cloth), Del's Native Products (raffia/abaca bags), HAMPCO (pina, abaca, raffia bags, shawl, placemats and fabrics), Rentillo Enterprises (raffia bags, boxes, organizers, placemats, picture frames), Sutoniel's Pina Cloth and Native Handicrafts (pina cloth, pina barong native crafts) and Uswag Arts and Crafts (nito/bariw/raffia products).

For this year, five exhibitors in the gifts, housewares and furnishings sector - House of L's Pottery (potteries), Papierus Arts and Crafts (paper arts), Tamayo's Handicrafts (Buri bayong), Pot Makers Association of Lezo, Inc. (PMALI) (jars, pots, bricks and other pottery products) and Silver Handicrafts (raffia and nito products) are also joining the trade fair to promote their products.

Six processed foods exhibitors - Bread and Butter Food Industries (bakery products), Felicita's Delicacies (pastillas, butter scotch, buko candy), Jean's Cakes and Pastries (cakes, bakery products), Trims Food Products (apas, uraro and other bakery products), Fruit of Life Enterprise (virgin coconut oil and other coco-based products) and Grandma's Garden Fresh and General Merchandise (ginger-based products, organic vegetable and organic fertilizer) while three exhibitors - Cross Cut Sash Works (wood-based furniture), Lima Interior Design (rattan/abaca/agzam furniture with other indigenous materials and C & A Alternative Designs and Metal Fabrication (metal and bamboo furniture) will featured their products in the weeklong festival.

Numancia Fits Center (vermicast organic fertilizer, veggies, buri bayong and crispy dilis) is also joining the festival trade fair.

Thirteen members of Aklan Horticulture Society are also joining the garden show - Sazon's Tropical Garden, Pinky's Garden, Rapcel Garden, Kaleidosflora Plants and Garden, Pilitas Garden, CRT Garden, Green Gold Garden, Magpusao Ornamental Plants and Garden, Questers Garden, Rouven's Meteor Garden, Terraflora Plants and Garden Supplies, Vanfred's Plants and Antiques and D'Chosen Garden.

The Aklan Ati-Atihan Trade Fair and Garden Show, which is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, is supported by Hugod Aklanon Producers Association, Inc. and the local government of Kalibo.