The Pistang Tomas fair at the UST Quadricentennial Park
Thomasians flocked to the Pistang Tomas bazaar to purchase local products.
UST Simbahayan in collaboration with 6 colleges launched Pistang Tomas 2018
With the theme “Kultura’t
Kabuhayan ng Pamayanan: Pagyamanin at Pangalagaan”, the annual Pistang Tomas
was launched by the UST Simbahayan last February 12-15, 2018 at the
Quadricentennial Park. The three-day event was organized in collaboration with
College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM), College of Fine Arts and
Design (CFAD), College of Commerce and Business Administration (CCBA), AMV
College of Accountancy (AMV-CoA), Conservatory of Music (CoM), and Institute of
Philippine Education and Athletics (IPEA) to promote the advocacies and
products of the university’s partner communities.
The UST Simbahayan invited
non-profit organizations such as She W.O.R.K.S. Inc, Spirit Social Center Inc.
of Quezon City, Caritas Manila Inc, and Cooperative of Women in Health and
Development (CowHed) to participate in the yearly bazaar. Besides these
communities, representatives from the Parañaque City Jail Female Dormitory,
Nueva Ecija, Kalinga Food Treat, Bulacan, and St. Anthony of Padua Parish also
had their stalls in the venue.
As required by our professor
in Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century
(TNCT), I headed straight to the Quadricentennial Park last February 14, 2018
in hopes of purchasing creations that are crafted for a cause. From champorado
rice to woven shirts, everything in the fair grabbed my attention. The local
delicacies featured were effortlessly enticing, while the handmade products had
an appeal incomparable to ordinary merchandise. While I was checking things out
with my friends on that day, the Quadri Park was infused with an affable
ambiance since the invited communities were too friendly and accommodating to
Thomasians. Although I have studied in UST for six years now, it was my first
time to buy from the Pistang Tomas bazaar and get in touch with its
participating bodies. Written below are my reviews for each of my purchased
product.
Anti-Human
Trafficking Bracelets
Support the anti-human trafficking advocacy by purchasing these bracelets!
While everyone was busy
hustling to food stalls, I fell in love with She W.O.R.K.S. Inc’s items for its
uniqueness and splendor. The accessories they sell range from minimal to
flamboyant designs, allowing their customers to find something that would suit
them. She W.O.R.K.S Inc. resembles a clothing line that offers high-quality
Pinoy fashion at a reasonable price, but they are more than just sellers of
aesthetic ornaments. Their products are created with the burning desire to
assert societal advocacies, and buying from them is one way of supporting their
platforms.
She W.O.R.K.S (Women Of
Reliability, Knowledge, and Skills) Inc. is a non-formal training program under
Made in Hope (MIH), an organization that yearns to elevate women and children
from the realm of abuse, global sex trade, and other forms of exploitation. It
is the branch of MIH that aids women to develop their leadership and have the
unwavering drive for social change. People under this scheme are trained to be
financially stable, enabling them to sustain their family’s needs. Among the
products they hew for a living are the anti-human trafficking bracelets, the
She W.O.R.K.S’ best sellers.
Upon reaching their stall,
the anti-human trafficking bracelets have definitely caught my eye. Its charm
reminds me of the accessories sold in island paradises such as Coron and
Boracay. As I browsed through their products, the seller was very responsive to
the questions raised to her. She explained to us that their bracelets were
handmade by their beneficiaries, and it would be a big help for these women if
we purchase their creations. For one hundred pesos each, I bought two bracelets
– one for me and the other for my mom.
The bracelets that She
W.O.R.K.S. sells often come in colors of red, yellow, and green. One may accuse
its crafter as an avid fan of Bob Marley, but its significance connotes deeper
meaning. As seen from its packaging, red stands for “STOP Human Trafficking”,
yellow means “BE AWARE of its effects”, and green indicates “GO and DO
something”. From the first impression, the bracelets may seem as unique gems made
merely for aesthetic purposes. In fact, it is the advocacy within that makes it
a good buy for the shoppers.
Wearing the bracelet draws
more people to notice one’s wrist. I wore mine to a Saturday hang-out, and my
friend remarked that I did not seem like a fan of Bob Marley. As she was
closely examining the ornament, I told her about She W.O.R.K.S. Inc. and their
anti-human trafficking advocacy. Both of us thought that 100 pesos for a
bracelet may be a bit pricey, but supporting the platform along it is worth
every centavo.
I
have huge belief that purchasing anti-human trafficking bracelets from She
W.O.R.K.S. Inc. can become the next trend since people nowadays are moved by
various platforms. According to recent studies, the youth of
today are inclined to cling towards their life philosophies and resort to
activism when their views are opposed. These advocacy-bracelets, when given
more exposure and promotion, can become mediums of individuals to express their
support on anti-human trafficking campaigns. It can also be a form of
self-fulfillment among its buyers for they know they have helped a human
trafficking survivor by paying for his or her craft.
If She W.O.R.K.S. Inc. will
be invited to the next Pistang Tomas, I know that I will purchase more of their
products to express my support for the brave women behind their team. Their
shirts and earrings are all the rage as well. Overall, I give their anti-human
trafficking bracelets five stars!
Hand-woven shirts and bags crafted by human trafficking survivors
Gorgeous earrings from She W.O.R.K.S. Inc. for only 50 pesos per pair
Unoy Champorado
Blend
Rice products from the Kalinga Food Treat
A pack of Unoy Champorado Blend for 250 pesos
Champorado has always been my childhood
favorite. After a long tiring afternoon of playing musical instruments with my
cousins, my five-year old self would take delight in devouring every spoonful
of my lola’s homemade champorado. I
remember consuming three bowls of this delectable delight every Saturday for I
was simply a fan of anything imbued with cocoa powder. Putting evaporated milk
on my champorado takes away all the
stress I feel, and eating tuyo along
with it is recuperates my will to live.
The Kalinga Food Treat was
one of the most sought stalls in this year’s Pistang Tomas. When I was still in
UST Junior High School, my mom would go to the Pistang Tomas bazaar and
purchase packs of champorado rice. I
always looked forward to breakfasts and meriendas from that time on because the
Unoy Champorado Blend offered a taste that can surpass my lola’s homemade version. Kalinga’s champorado was simply a food for the gods, a blessing from above.
I bought one pack of Unoy
Champorado Blend for two-hundred fifty pesos. It was worth a kilogram of
organic unoy-blended rice, which
includes the glutinous chocolate rice variety from the Cordillera terraces. What
makes this treasure sellable to students is the convenience of preparing it.
For a Kalinga-inspired champorado,
one has to boil a cup of the blend in fifteen cups of water and stir it
constantly until cooked. Evaporated milk and sugar may also be added to further
enhance its taste.
The champorado blend is cooked like regular rice, and the outcome is
just as tasty. It leaves one’s mouth craving for more. Kalinga Food Treat’s champorado can never be paralleled to
any rendering because it tastes like pure chocolate, like the ones we receive
from our relatives working overseas. A bowl of it is chaste enough and is free
from unwanted preservatives.
The
Unoy Champorado Blend, when prepared, does not need any side dish to go along
with it for its superb taste speaks for itself. The price may be expensive, but
tasting a spoonful of it makes you forget how you took delight on other
chocolate rice porridges. This specialty of Kalinga Food Treat has all the
potentials needed to become the next trend since it has taken champorado to a whole new level of deliciousness.
While my grandma’s champorado was
good, the Kalinga champorado was a
hundred times better. If this product is available nationwide and sold at a
lower price, more people can be drawn to indulge in its incredible taste. Since
it is so convenient to prepare, Unoy Champorado Blend gets five stars from me!
Kalinga Barako
Coffee
Prices range from 30-200 pesos
1 kilogram of Barako Coffee for 200 pesos
Aside from champorado, I also live for coffee. My
body is sustained by caffeine instead of oxygen, and I feel so hyped after
having my first cup for the day. Life without coffee is something I can never
picture out. As a very drowsy person, I tend to sleep almost everywhere. From
school to family reunions, I leave no spare. It is through coffee that I am
able to use my potentials to the umpteenth limit. The trajectory of my
productivity soars high whenever I drink black coffee for breakfast.
The Kalinga Food Treat’s
stall was more than just selling champorado rice and unoy varieties. Beside their stacks of wheat-based products lay
packs of barako coffee in different quantities. Its price ranges from thirty to
two hundred pesos depending on the number of kilograms. The seller wondered how
I came across their coffee stall and asked if I would like some free taste. She
must have noticed my grin upon taking my cup of coffee.
It must have been unusual for
KFT representatives to encounter someone as young as I am to have an interest
in barako coffee since they were very accommodating – actually friendlier than
sellers from the other stalls. They entertained my questions with smiles and
laughter. I asked them jokingly whether a kilogram of barako coffee could
slowly kill me, and they answered me “Hindi
naman grabe ka naman ‘day! [Of course not! You’re exaggerating, girl!]”. My
conversation with Ate had drawn me to really purchase a kilogram of barako
coffee for two hundred pesos, and, believe me, I am not complaining.
I remember Ate telling me
that their product was worth every penny because its coffee beans were
carefully selected by the Kalinga elders to ensure its quality and freshness. I
could not wait to try it out for my next breakfast since I was feeling so
sleepy for that week. Upon sipping some from my cup, I felt as if I was being
recharged by an electrical source. The taste was the type of bitterness I
prefer – strong and intense. It was so pure and really had a signature taste.
The Kalinga Barako Coffee is unequaled to commercialized black coffees since it
is organic and 100% Pinoy-made.
My first day of taking this
coffee was undeniably one of the most constructive chapters of my life since I
did not feel a speck of drowsiness. I was able to survive my twelve-hour class
schedule without feeling abused, exploited, and disgruntled. The Kalinga Barako
Coffee is capable of transcending those purchased from cafés since people
nowadays tend to buy products that are organic and good for the health. If sold
at a lower price and made accessible to all parts of the country, this coffee
can become the next trend.
Without hesitation, I invite
all my fellow Thomasians to purchase Kalinga Barako Coffee and feel revitalized
with every sip! Five stars for Kalinga Food Treat in general!
Other products from the Pistang Tomas Fair
Creations from the Parañaque City Jail Female Dormitory
Key chains and coin purses made from beads
Chicharon from Bongabon, Nueva Ecija
Well done! The article was able to elaborate the event and was able to present the products well. Different colleges that collaborated with the event was also emphasized as they were not fully recognized during the event.
ReplyDeleteThe first product was the anti-human trafficking. I love how the writer advocates the victims of human trafficking because nowadays, it is widely spread. The next product was the unoy champorado. I also chose this product because of its uniqueness but the writer was able to expound it more. Lastly, the barako coffee. I love how the writers interviewed the sellers and she described how she was persuaded to buy the product because it was carefully chosen by the elderly.
The choice of words was well-chosen and the products was well-described because you could feel how the writer exert effort in the project.
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