TRADE FAIR. DTI Western Visayas Regional Director Rebecca M. Rascon said on Tuesday (Oct. 12, 2021) that 58 One Town, One Product Entrepreneurs (OTOPreneurs) will showcase their merchandise during the weeklong trade fair from Oct. 13 to 17 at the Outdoor Atrium of Festive Mall in Iloilo City. It is done in observance of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Week and the Consumer Welfare Month. (PNA file photo)
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Western Visayas will gather the best products from various municipalities and cities in the region for its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Week Trade Fair from Oct. 13 to 17 at the Outdoor Atrium of Festive Mall in Mandurriao district here.
DTI Western Visayas Regional Director Rebecca M. Rascon said on Tuesday the assistance to MSMEs continues amid the threat of the pandemic.
“DTI continues to hurdle the challenges of assisting micro, small and medium entrepreneurs come up with new and better offerings with significant improvement and innovation in the areas of quality, product development, design, packaging, standards compliance, marketability, production capability, brand development, among others,” she said in an interview.
Fifty-eight (One Town, One Product Entrepreneurs ( OTOPreneurs) will showcase their merchandise from processed foods, handicrafts, and other non-food products during the week-long trade fair.
They are composed of 13 exhibitors from Aklan; 11, Antique; four, Capiz; nine each from Guimaras and Iloilo and 12 from Negros Occidental.
Among their display are hablon weaving, piña and other fibers, yummy food and delicacies, artisanal homegrown crafts of fibers, bamboo, vines, abaca, and various local raw materials.
“We cannot let this pandemic consume us. Instead, let us explore more ideas to confront these trials and come up with better solutions in extending assistance to our MSMEs, likewise, discover other opportunities brought by this pandemic,” she added.
This year’s exhibit anchors on the theme “Makabagong MSMEs, Bagong Pag-asa Laban sa Pandemya.”
The trade fair is also in line with the observance of Consumer Welfare Month in coordination with Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Weekly Community Fair, a project that supports MSMEs across the country. (PNA)
