TACLOBAN CITY — The regional trade fair showcasing the best of Eastern Visayas has generated PHP49 million in sales, more than double its target, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) confirmed on Thursday.
DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras said actual sales from the Bahandi Regional Trade Fair at SM Megamall from Oct. 4 to 8 exceeded the PHP23 million target set by the trade department and exhibitors.
“Products of our small and medium enterprises have actually up scaled in terms of quality, labelling and packaging. Our producers have been prepared for the annual event through series of capacity building activities,” Nierras said.
Of the PHP49 million sales, more than PHP32 million are cash and booked and nearly PHP17 million are under negotiation.
Among the products displayed were lechon (roasted pig), tuba (coconut wine), tahong (mussels) crackers, turmeric tea, chocolate moron (sticky rice with chocolate), calamansi concentrate, sweet potato chips, dried fish, chocolate tablets, dried squid, dried jackfruit, woven mats, coco shells, and fashion accessories.
The fair had 134 participating producers with 46 from Leyte, 27 from Samar, 22 from Eastern Samar, 18 from Northern Samar, 13 from Biliran, and eight from Southern Leyte.
Bahandi 2018 is an avenue to forge long-term partnerships with buyers in the local and global market, he said. It aims to increase the visibility of MSMEs in the domestic, as well as global market, and build up buyers’ confidence on their reliability, dependability and consistency as suppliers of quality goods.
DTI launched the marketing program in 1998 with its first exhibit in this city.
Bahandi, the local term for wealth, is being organized this year by the DTI, in partnership with the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, DTI’s One Town, One Product, Regional Development Council, Department of Tourism, Canadian government, Bahandi producers, Concern, Inc., MSD Godspeed Exhibits Corp., and SM Megamall. (Sarwell Meniano/PNA)
