TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is eyeing at least PHP1 million in sales from a four-day regional trade fair here meant to link small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) to local institutional buyers.
DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras said in an interview Wednesday that the exhibit at Robinsons Place aims to match small producers with local businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, bakeshops, and souvenir shops.
At least 35 small and medium entrepreneurs from six provinces joined the “Bahandi” trade fair, which opened Tuesday and will run until June 15. “Bahandi” is the local term for wealth.
The event is anchored on the theme, “Celebrating Freedom and Festivals”.
“Let us help patronize local products. Any income they would earn will redound to the development of their communities. They generate income for their own, employ locals, and support raw materials suppliers, such as farmers and fishermen,” Nierras told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The DTI official noted that many Cebu- and Manila-based buyers have been patronizing products from Eastern Visayas, but there is still a low level of awareness in the region on the existence of locally-made processed food, wearables, and homestyle products.
“You can see a lot of improved products and enhanced packaging and labeling after years of assistance extended to them. This is a good opportunity to help sustain the operations of our SMEs,” she added.
Included in the trade fair is a booth of MGM Company, one of the biggest food packaging and containers suppliers in the Philippines.
The company will provide free consultation on the latest technology and appropriate packaging for food products.
The local marketing event is part of preparations for the “Bahandi” trade fair at SM Megamall in October, to be joined by SMEs assisted by the trade department for several years.
Among the products up for display are lechon (roasted pig), tuba (coconut wine), tahong (mussel) crackers, turmeric tea, moron (sticky rice with chocolate), sweet potato chips, chocolate tablets, dried squid, woven mats, coco shells, and fashion accessories. (Sarwell Meniano/PNA)
