CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Around PHP36.5 million was generated from the market sales of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Calabarzon’s week-long regional trade fair at the Festival Supermall, Alabang in Muntinlupa City on October 12-18.
The DTI Calabarzon regional office reported on Monday that the trade fair income came from cash, booked and under negotiation sales from the region’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during the seven-day fair.
“KALAKAL CALABARZON is one of our programs to live up to our commitment to assist and prepare the local MSMEs to access, maintain and survive the demands and challenges of new and bigger markets here and abroad,” DTI Calabarzon Regional Director Marilou Toledo said.
Toledo said the regional trade fair is staged yearly to encourage entrepreneurs from Calabarzon provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon to produce high-quality, innovative and competitive products.
Mia Angeline Cortez, DTI regional public information officer, said the buyers, guests and visitors were treated to an array of newly developed and innovative products for food, home, fashion and lifestyle sectors that drew remarkable interest from local buying companies.
Cortez said the special exhibits and market setting on “Best Products of CALABARZON” highlighted the region’s finest products such as hanging and table lamps, wall decor, women’s gown, bags, wallets, jewelry cases and fashion accessories like necklaces and earrings.
The trade fair, which drew more than a hundred participating MSMEs, also sold women’s shoes and sandals, candles, organizers, storages, bags, notebooks and stationeries made from organic materials, vases, herbal soaps, coffees, teas, cakes and pastries, wines, baked noodles, organic mushrooms with tinapa, Spanish sardines, among other product variety.
“These products were chosen carefully by the representatives from the Association of Region IV-A (Calabarzon) Designers, Inc.,” Cortez said.
DTI Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Zenaida Reyes also remarked that “regional trade fairs like ‘KALAKAL’ are very important because these make MSME come out and boast their products to the market.”
Reyes said that because of mentoring, many MSMEs have found courage and strength to offer their products to a wider and bigger market.
“They have stood up from every failure. As the mentors are the MSME themselves, they know the learning. Big and small entrepreneurs have setbacks, but they stood up again. I am very proud and happy for our CALABARZON MSMEs,” Reyes said.
DTI officials said “KALAKAL CALABARZON 2017” aims to strengthen the linkages among the various players in the regional economic development by providing them a wider and bigger venue for promoting their products and services.
They said the trade fair also creates stronger linkages not only among government stakeholders but also the private sector.
Efren Ayo, owner of Esayo Soap Manufacturing in Batangas, expressed elation as his business enterprise was one of the top sellers during the fair.
“This is my first time to participate in a trade fair because I only started my business last January 2017. Through DTI’s free seminars and workshops, I am able to improve my products and to learn more about the aspects of entrepreneurship,” Ayo said.
He said that as a first-timer, he was fortunate to reap his first-ever “under negotiation sales in millions.”
The trade fair was organized in cooperation with DTI provincial offices of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon; beneficiaries from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP); and the One Town, One Product Next Generation Program (OTOP NEXT GEN) led by the DTI-ROG Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga.
Several awards were given to exhibitors as incentives, such as Four D Foliage Lampshade Design of Batangas which won the “Most Innovative Product for Non-food Category”; Cocoplus Aquarian Development Corporation of Laguna – “Most Innovative Product for the Food Category”; Souq Salamanca Artisan Arts and Crafts of Batangas-“Best Dressed Booth Award” and RCMA Citronella Enterprises of Cavite as the trade fair’s “Top Seller.” (PNA)
