Cordillera's best at Festival Supermall

MANILA, Philippines - Enjoy freshly-brewed mountain coffee while shopping for unique crafts and gift items from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at IMPAKABSAT 2011, the Cordillera’s biggest trade fair, which runs until Nov. 20 at the Carousel Court, Festival Supermall in Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang.

IMPAKABSAT 2011 showcases over 70 exhibitors of the region’s top products such as silvercraft, ethnic novelty items, houseware, furniture and furnishings, fresh and processed food, hand-woven products, woodcraft, bamboo crafts and collectible antiques manufactured by the hardworking upland people.

IMPAKABSAT is an acronym for the six CAR provinces: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, as well as the cities of Baguio and Tabuk. In Ilocano, “kabsat” or “kinnabsatan” stands for kinship or brotherly ties, pointing to the history of the trade fair, which was first organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-CAR with the new regional government offices in 1991 to help boost the economy in the earthquake-stricken region. Over the years, IMPAKABSAT has become a much anticipated annual fair by buyers and sellers alike.

IMPAKABSAT 2011 will also feature the Regional Development Council Souvenir Products Development Project, whose flagship projects include veggie noodles and water hyacinth bayong; the micro-enterprise beneficiaries of the Rural Micro-Enterprise Promotions Programme (RuMEPP); and the entrepreneurs assisted under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in CAR.

Cultural performances, as well as crafts and skills demonstrations, are also slated throughout the duration of the fair.

Festival Supermall is a premier development in Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.