The Matigsalugs, one of Davao City’s prominent 11 tribes, is featured in the 22nd Mindanao Trade Expo were opened yesterday at the Abreeza Ayala Mall.
The Matigsalug tribe launched their brand called Nasabeka, meaning unity, after two years of trainings to produce their own indigenous attire with the help of AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South Inc. (TSI) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which provided sewing machines, start-up kits and raw materials to the tribe.
The fashion show at Abreeza yesterday showcased 20 different clothing products and 10 accessories that are currently available for consumers.
Nasabeka is a product of the Matigsalug Indigenous Crafts Project (MICP) aimed at preserving the Matigsalug culture while giving them a means of livelihood.
Datu Juanito Mandahay, president of the Matigsalug Council of Elders Marilog District, Davao City, Inc. (MACOEMADDACI), said that the project has been very helpful in the preservation of their culture.
“We believe that the moment our culture and environment is lost, the tribe’s reason for existence is also lost,” Mandahay said.
The Nasabeka line will be showcased until August 17 at Abreeza Mall and will also make it to MTE’s second leg in Glorietta Makati and SM Megamall come October.
MTE President Dr. Rosevic Lucilla del Rosario-Cembrano said they have decided to adopt the Matigsalug community believing in the potential of the products which have been made by the tribe for years.
“This has been part of their culture, and technology was transferred to them by their ancestors,” Dr. Del Rosario-Cembrano said.
She added that there have been enhancements made in to products to make them more competitive and prepare them for the international market.
Aside from being a livelihood project, MCIP was also established to support TSI’s Carbon Sink Management Program (CSMP).
Per TSI, “CMSP aims to plant 1 million trees in 10 years beginning 2013 to offset the carbon emission of the 300-megawatt Davao Baseload Power Plant. Out of this target, 750,000 trees of both indigenous and agro-forest species are to be grown in partnership with the Matigsalug Tribe of Davao City.”
