TRADE FAIR. A wide array of local products are on sale at a three-day Christmas trade fair in Balanga City, Bataan from Dec. 20-22, 2021. Some 30 micro, small and medium entrepreneurs are participating in the event. (Photo by Ernie Esconde)
BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The provincial government here has opened a Christmas trade fair selling and showcasing various locally-produced products.
Thirty micro, small and medium entrepreneurs are participating in the event, displaying the best food and non-food products of the province.
The Provincial Cooperative and Enterprise Development Office and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist are spearheading the three-day fair from Monday until Wednesday at the first floor of the The Bunker, which replaced the Bataan capitol as the new seat of the provincial government here.
In an interview on Tuesday, Governor Albert Garcia said, “Buo ang aking paniniwala na sa ating pagkakaisa ay sama-sama tayong babangon nang may mas matatag at mas masiglang ekonomiya (I have full trust that through our cooperation, we can rise together with more stable and more vibrant economy).”
“Sana’y tangkilikin natin ito at suportahan ang mga lokal na namumuhunan upang sama-sama tayong makaahon sa pandemya lalo na ngayong panahon ng Kapaskuhan (Let us patronize and support our local entrepreneurs so that we could rise up together from the pandemic, especially this Christmas time),” he added.
On sale at the fair are plants, flower pots, fruits, vegetables, the popular and sought-after "tuyo" (dried fish), "tapa" (cured meat) and "bagoong" (shrimp paste), as well as souvenir T-shirts, bags, wallets, and hats.
There are also salted and sweetened peanuts, cashew nuts, kimchi, cookies, "atsara" (pickles), fried garlic, tamarind, "patis" (fish sauce), peanut butter, flavored mushroom chips, turmeric powder, ginger powder, ginger candy, honey and "balut" or incubated duck eggs.
Also available are homemade "ensaymada" breads, cheesecakes, cassava cakes, and personal and household items such as sandals, slippers, rugs, potholders, and chair covers, among others. (PNA)
