Lang-ay Mountain Province: 6/1/09

Other locally made products of Mountain Province include finely crafted furniture-chairs, tables, cabinets, beds, cupboards and showcases-made of pinewood and narra. Other creations include metal works, hand-painted T-shirts, and handicrafts.

Furniture is made available from at least 60 furniture shops in Sagada, Besao, Bontoc, Barlig, Bauko, Paracelis, Sadanga,Tadian, and Sabangan.

At least nearly 10 metal work shops are especially made by craftsmen from Bauko, Tadian, and Bontoc. These are finely-made window grills, gates, and doors at reasonable costs.

Hand-painted T-shirts are done by home-based artists from Sagada and Bontoc. Original designs are mostly cultural motiffs such as lizards, gongs, and kalaleng (flute). These finely painted T-shirts are especially sold in souvenir shops in Sagada and Bontoc where tourists are the major buyers.

Handicrafts including hand-made woven bracelets, leather-made drums, seed-beads, clay beads, indigenous caps, are some of locally made souvenir items made in Sagada, Bontoc, Sabangan, and Tadian.

Grown wildly near rivers, the almost forgotten grayish bistak-aw plant is almost extinct. Thanks to Julia Bosaing of Sagada who found a way to make bistak-aw an ornament as bracelet or a necklace. Julia made bistak-aw beads interspersed with other commercial beads giving it a colorful and creative look. Bistak-aw is also made into curtains aside from bracelets. Julia also makes earings, bracelets, and necklaces out of hardened clay.

Hand-made paper is made out of local products like pine needles. William Pacyaya from Sagada has already made stacks of hand made paper needing market outlets.

MOUNTAIN PROVINCE is known for its processed foods including jams, jellies, peanut butter and squash noodles. These are processed by entrepreneurs spread out in the ten towns of the province mostly in Sagada, Besao, Bontoc, Bauko, Tadian, Sabangan and Sadanga. Pickles, honey and lemon pies are also especially produced by Sagada entrepreneurs. Processed foods are either marketed in souvenir and local stores or consumed in a number of café shops.

Squash noodles are produced by Montanosa Research and Development Center (MRDC) based in Sagada. The squash noodles are made of wheat flour, squash puree, lye, iodized salt and vegetable oil. At least 130 kilograms are produced everyday. Demand is high but production is low. MRDC supplies individual stores in Sagada, Besao and Bontoc with squash noodles. MRDC’s squash noodles are produced using a cutter and sheeter and manned by two production staff.