The first Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Trade Expo (Miptex) wrapped up in Davao City with P1 million in gross sales, according to SunStar Publishing Inc. The four-day event, held from October 27 to October 30 at Poblacion Market Central, brought together 50 exhibitors selling food, delicacies, handwoven textiles, traditional clothing and accessories made by Indigenous communities across Mindanao.
SunStar Publishing Inc. reports that the expo was organized by the New Zealand Embassy, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The United Nations Development Programme, the Department of Trade and Industry, Alsons Development and Investment Corporation and its corporate foundation, the Conrado & Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc., backed the event as supporting partners.
Why it matters
The expo was the first of its kind for Mindanao, and organizers framed it as a chance to put Indigenous enterprise and cultural heritage on the same stage. Every product on display carried stories, traditions and skills handed down through generations of cultural artisans, SunStar Publishing Inc. reports.
MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro described the event as a milestone. According to SunStar Publishing Inc., he said it was historic to showcase the richness of the culture of Indigenous peoples and communities, and that the expo was one way to achieve that.
The sales figure gives the event a measurable outcome beyond symbolism. P1 million in gross sales over four days, described by SunStar Publishing Inc. as partial and official, indicates that buyers turned out for the exhibitors' goods.
Recognition for Indigenous creatives and entrepreneurs
In her closing speech, lawyer Ivy Rose Paz, acting regional director of NCIP in Davao Region, thanked the partners, stakeholders and supporters who made the expo a success. SunStar Publishing Inc. reports that she addressed the Indigenous creatives and entrepreneurs directly, thanking them for sharing their culture and for showing everyone how strong the culture of Mindanao's Indigenous peoples is.
Paz also stressed that the exhibitors are active partners who retained ownership of their culture, according to SunStar Publishing Inc. She credited the partners with creating a program anchored on respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples.
The lineup of organizers and supporters reflects that framing. A foreign embassy, a Mindanao-wide development body, the government agency mandated to protect Indigenous rights, a UN program, the trade department and private corporations all took part in the inaugural run.
What to watch
With a first edition completed and sales recorded, attention turns to whether Miptex becomes a recurring fixture on Mindanao's trade calendar and whether the exhibitors who joined this year return with expanded product lines.
