Cotabateños poised to make city center of trade, culture

COTABATO CITY – It was already 9 p.m. on a Saturday in Cotabato City yet thousands of people still mill around the City Hall grounds where the Trade Fair, one of the activities of the recent Shariff Kabunsuan Festival, was held.

For visitors who were earlier advised to stay in their hotel rooms after 6 p.m., it was surprising to see streams of people squeezing themselves from one stall to another, checking on the wares on display. Some dance to the rhythmic throbbing of gongs. Others just enjoy the night eating local delicacies like "tinagtag" (rice roll), "putlimandi" (nut-flavored cookies), "dudol" (rice jam) and "sinina" (spicy goat meat).

"It’s always like this until midnight," said Bai Sandra Basar of Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kutawato, Inc. (MCCIKI), which hosted the Trade Fair. Many are still wandering about the grounds and nearby plaza past closing time at 10 p.m., she enthused.

The happiness etched on Bai Sandra’s face is understandable as night-time activities may be ordinary for other cities; but for Cotabato it is a significant development given that in recent years, it has become the reference point of armed conflicts in Central Mindanao. Clashes in nearby towns are always perceived to have had happened in the city especially that news reports on troubles in the region is datelined in Cotabato City.

Alive at night

But Cotabateños, on their own, are making efforts to dispel the negative image of their home city. Bai Sandra observes that many people started to stay out late during the Bagumbal festivities, a trade fair MCCIKI also sponsored in October last year. When MCCIKI held the 2nd Ramadan Fair in November, the number of merrymakers and even exhibitors increased.

At least 45 exhibitors joined the month-long Ramadan Fair, which opened from 3 p.m. to 12 midnight, while 29 participated in the three-day Bagumbal Fair.

The momentum just kept on going. In less than a month, Cotabateños and residents from nearby towns once again flocked to the City Hall grounds for the Kabunsuan festivities that attracted twice the combined number of people who went to Bagumbal and Ramadan trade shows.

"The huge crowd shows people’s confidence in the city’s peace and order condition. Cotabateños are yearning for this kind of activities," said Cotabato City Planning and Development Officer Dong Anayatin.

The wider participation and greater enthusiasm of people serve good to the city, particularly to the business community.

Good for Business

The Trade Fair, which is supported by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, drew 70 exhibitors and garnered R2.9 million in sales.

"This is indeed a good opportunity for small businesses to showcase their products even just for the local market. It would be great if we can attract institutional outlets," said Mohammad Mang, manager of MKM Brassware, which displays percussion instruments like kulintang, agong, gandingan, and dabakan and other brasswares during the fair.

Mang observed that some people of Cotabato became only aware that those well-crafted products are Cotabato made after they saw them on display at the trade show.

"We still have a lot to do in promoting our products. We’ll start by making our fellow Cotabateños aware that we’re producing these goods and later they can be tapped as partner-endorsers," said Mang, who, being a sole maker of kulintang instruments in the country, always has his hands full with orders from schools, gift shops, and other institutional buyers.

Creating positive image

But local traders seem not only concerned in doing business during the festivities. They also become active movers in making the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival, a memorable and grand celebration.

Earlier in the day, MCCIKI, together with the other three chambers – Metro Cotabato Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cotabato City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Cotabato Chapter) – pulled the Guinakit Fluvial Parade, a spectacular re-enactment of the arrival of Shariff Kabunsuan who brought Islam to Central Mindanao from Johore, Malaysia in the 14th century.

At least eight boats, decked with traditional Maguindanaon adornments like pandalas, pasandalan, baguintays in fiery colors and other Muslim artworks, glide on the Rio Grande de Mindanao in all their majesty before thousands of people lining along the wharf. The bancas carried cultural performers dancing to the non-stop beat of kulintang.

Guinakit, a Maguindanaon term referring to an entourage of bancas used by early Muslim leaders when they travel, denotes royalty, solidarity and cooperation. It is still being practiced when sultans travel or during weddings.

Enriching culture

The Metro Cotabato CCI also offered its space as venue for the Arts Exhibit of local artists. Seven young Cotabato-based and two painters from nearby towns mount their works whose genre range from realism, to cubism, to expressionism.

"We have many talented artists here. Some of them remains to be discovered. They have myriad of subjects to work on. Cotabato City is the center of culture here in Mindanao. Tradition is very alive here," said Metro Cotabato CCI president Perfecto Marquez.

Aside from the exhibit, local artists also showed off their creative skills during the street painting contests. Ten-year-old Rossmin Uday, a pupil of Central Pilot Elementary School, impressed the jurors of her work depicting Cotabato’s beauty, rich resources and cordial people to be adjudged as the best.

Other crowd-drawer activities were the Kuyog Street Dancing Parade, Crab Race/Eating Contest, Qur’an Reading Competition, Teachers Olympics and Cultural Show, Inaul Fashion Showcase, and Battle of the Bands.

Public-private sectors partnership

People behind the festivities agreed that its success stems from the closer cooperation of the government and private sectors, which pooled their resources together to hold the most successful Kabunsuan Festival, so far.

"This makes this festival different from any other events. All members of the community are involved. In the business sector, each makes their own contribution to make the festivity a success," said Bai Sandra, beaming with pride.

"Everyone wants to be part in creating a positive image of Cotabato City. Image is important in building investors’ confidence," Bai Sandra added.

CPDO head, Engr. Anayatin, couldn’t agree more. "The contribution of the private sector, particularly the business groups, is an important factor in this great accomplishment," said Anayatin.

With the government working together with the private sector, it won’t be long when Cotabato City reclaims its place in the history as the center of culture and trade of Mindanao.

[ Rio Grande de Mindanao Wiki ]