MANILA: Artisans and small business owners from Bangsamoro, the Philippines’ only Muslim-majority region, have joined a nationwide campaign to tap into the global halal market, as they showcased traditional, handmade crafts at a halal expo in Manila.
More than 100 small Philippine businesses producing and manufacturing halal products took part at the three-day Halal Expo Philippines in Manila, which concluded on Saturday.
The event is part of an initiative by the Philippines to promote its domestic halal industry, with the aim of entering the multi-trillion-dollar global halal market.
With colorful, handwoven goods ranging from traditional bags to garments, entrepreneurs and craftsmen from Bangsamoro participated at the Manila expo in the hope of taking their products global.
“These are the products of the indigenous, mostly women … Through this expo, we’re hoping that our products will get noticed,” Malano Mai, senior trade and industry development specialist of the Bangsamoro government, told Arab News on the sidelines of the event.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which was formed in 2019 following decades of separatist struggle, is also seeking to “change perspectives” about the region.
“Before, people thought that BARMM in Mindanao and the Muslims were only about war. So we want to change the perspective that we are also evolving, just like the rest of the people in the Philippines,” Mai said.
“The BARMM is peaceful, we have rich cultures, we have products that are competitive, not just locally, but globally.”
Muslims make up about 10 percent of the Philippines’ 120 million, predominantly Catholic, population. Most live in Bangsamoro, a southern region that includes the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
With “Choose Bangsamoro” as their collective tagline, the regional booth showcased colors and patterns that were closely tied to local traditions and culture.
“For us, people of Lanao, colors are symbols. Like, for example, yellow symbolizes royalty,” Mai said.
“Aside from the colors that symbolizes emotions, the patterns like for the malong, the curves symbolizes the water because Maranao people are people from the lake. The other designs are also related to nature, because the Maranao people, our ancestors, give high value to nature.”
The products from Bangsamoro were special, said Sittiwanhar Mugung, an artisan from Tawi-Tawi.
“It shows our cultural tradition,” she told Arab News. “We are proud to make hand embroideries, our woven products. It shows the talent of our exhibitors, our artists.”
