Why we should all be proud to be Pinoy

People are still raving about the Manila FAME 2012 held recently at the SMX Convention Center in Metro Manila. A treasure trove of Filipino products from the hands of artisans, both established and up-and-coming, the three-day exhibit was both a commercial and critical success, with triple-digit increases in visitors over the same period in 2010 (up 164 percent) and 2011 (up 143 percent). There was a 94 percent increase in foreign buyer attendance from April 2010, a 53 percent increase in buyer attendance from April 2011 and an eight percent increase from October 2011.

This is good news for our dollar-starved economy, which should really be exporting products more than its people.

Manila FAME aims to exceed its contribution of $194.68 million to the total Philippine merchandise exports posted in 2010 by bringing together four world-class event brands — Manila FAME, Manila Now, Cebu Next and Bijoux Cebu — during its recent show. Home-style products were identified in the Philippine Economic Development Program among the key export sectors to be pursued from 2011 to 2013. 

“There’s a story to every product that’s created by the Filipino. Anywhere in the world, the products are also beautiful, but there’s no story behind them. When buyers come to the Philippines, they find that there is a story for every product. For example, there is a community that is helped, there is a product that was discovered and suddenly created into a work of art,” says Rosvi Gaetos, executive director of Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), which is committed to creating a pool of globally competitive Filipino exporters by helping small and medium-scale manufacturers that need marketing and promotions.

The show was a platform for international design collaboration, bringing together Philippine design icons Antonio “Budji” Layug, Kenneth Cobonpue and Josie Natori for the curatorship of the show. Layug and Cobonpue curated the show’s DeXign Zone, showcasing design innovations that feature the country’s top furniture manufacturers.

Natori, who is the adviser and style guru of Manila FAME, directed the development and launch of the Manila Wear brand for Philippine apparel and accessories.

Heading the local designers for the initial offering of Manila Wear were Inno Sotto and Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) president JC Buendia. Joining them were Vittorio Barba, Cesar Gaupo, OJ Hoffer, Rajo Laurel, Jojie Lloren, Dennis Lustico, Randy Ortiz and Joey Samson for apparel, and designers for fashion accessories include Pepito Albert, TC Alvarez-Sibal, Jun Artajo, Maco Custodio, Joel Escober, Lulu Tan-Gan, Adante Leyesa, Joyce Makitalo, Arnel Papa, Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Gerry Sunga.

During the exhibit there was a special enclosure that showcased the distinct Filipino fashion style of these designers.

Working pro bono out of love for her Motherland, Josie would put in 21-hour workdays to mount the exhibit, retiring at 6 a.m. and then reporting for “duty” at 9 a.m.!

“Josie advised us to bring Filipino design to the next level, because the market has changed. There is stiff competition. The market doesn’t want ‘modern’ anymore, it wants to go back to what is artisan and ‘by hand.’ Josie was looking at the trends all over the world, noticing that people were going back to what was natural, what was made by hand, what is artisan. And who else would epitomize that but the Filipinos? We are very good with our hands. That’s the message we spread out in the world,” Rosvi, whom Josie admires for her energy and feisty character, shares.

“The taste of the Filipino is very different. There is a touch of modern. We are not just into pure handicrafts. We are eclectic. We get the best of everything and come up with something that is very Filipino still. The Campana brothers of Brazil, mavericks of home design who have made it big globally, said that as far back as a couple of years ago they have realized that Filipinos don’t only have the talent, they also have the materials. For instance, the Campanas source their Capiz shells from here. And if we have those two — talent and materials — why can we not make it big?” Rosvi continues.

She admits, however, that there is a third component lacking: technology. She and Josie believe Filipinos can compensate for that lack.

 “We need investments to buy machines and molds. The reason we can’t increase production capacity and do economies of scale is that we don’t have the assembly line. We may never have it. What Josie is saying is that why compete there (in technology) when China can manufacture by the hundreds of thousands? We compete by coming up with a work of art by hand, which the other countries can’t do.”

And hands-down, we can surely do it better!

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