Negros Oriental food products go international

Five locally produced food delicacies from the province will be highlighted in the International Food Exhibition Philippines (IFEX Philippines 2008) together with other selected food products from the Central Visayas Region 7, on May 16-18, 2008 at the SMEX Convention Center, Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

According to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Information Officer, Tammy Sevilla to be featured in this year's IFEX under the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions' Partner Region Program are: Orient Foods' "energy food", a combination of ampaw and dehydrated fruits; Sans Rival's jam squares; Ivon's baye-baye; Chantilly's bod-bod kabog; and the bod-bod of Tanjay.

Under the program, the above food companies have been getting assistance in food packaging development/enhancement to make their products competitive in both domestic and international markets.

The owners are given trainings/seminars in production and marketing-related topics to help improve their production towards safe and quality products as well as equip them with the knowledge to improve their negotiation skills in dealing with local and foreign buyers.

Sevilla said, during the IFEX all products from Region 7, in their enhanced packaging and labels will be showcased in a special setting at the main exhibition hall, where local and foreign buyers are expected to visit. (PIA)

More Revenues In Software Development For Cebu

Cebu is expected to generate $255 million or 20 percent of the $1.275 billion revenue in software development by 2010 as it continues to be a premier outsourcing destination in the country.

Executive director of Cebu Educational Development Foundation Bonifacio said these figures are based on the studies conducted by the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) and Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP).

Cebu earned $60 million and employed 3,500 software developers in 2006, Belen added.

In his presentation during the launching of Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2008, Belen said this target puts forward the “enormous growth opportunity” for Cebu. “The challenge for Cebu is to serve substantial share or 20 percent of the national target (of $1.2 billion in 2010),” he said.

Belen said CBM 2008 features the First Cebu Open Source Summit which is one way of addressing challenges faced by the ICT sector.

“For the very first time, the major stakeholders of Open Source Technology across the world will converge in Cebu to discuss how the Open Source movement is changing the rules of the game for ICT,” he said.

The summit will have speakers from Cebu and other countries, who will discuss issues such as open source applications, infrastructure and technical success factor, challenges and risks of open source, and best practices for open source governance.

Filipino entrepreneur Winston Damarillo, who is chairman and co-founder of BPO company, Exist Global and software company, Morph Labs will be one of the speakers.

Belen said the summit will help Cebu reach its revenue target in the BPO and ITES sectors in 2010.

International Tourism Forum Highlights Bohol And Cebu

Tourism stakeholders are currently preparing for the United Nations-World Tourism Organization’s (UN-WTO) 6th International Tourism Forum for Parliamentarians to be held in Cebu on Oct. 22 to 25.

“Once again, Cebu will be the center of the world stage,” Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said. “It is an opportunity for Cebu to look forward to and grow, and an effective way for Cebuanos to look inward and present its competitiveness and strength as a people to the rest of the world.”

Cebu received international recognition for its hosting of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in January 2007.

The international forum, which is held every two years, is expected to gather some 400 delegates from 156 countries.

Durano was in Cebu with other Department of Tourism (DOT) officials and representatives of the UNWTO for the 888 News Forum yesterday at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Durano said the international tourism forum would have been held in China, but local stakeholders defended the country’s interest to host the event.

He said the Philippines’ bid drew support from other Asean member-nations and even earned the backing of China.

In an interview, Durano said tourism-related discussions to be tackled during the forum will deal on infrastructure projects, climate change, poverty reduction and the role of women in the industry.

He said infrastructure, especially airport development, will always be a vital component to increase tourism activities in a country.

A change in the climatic conditions will also be crucial in the traffic of foreign visitors, thus the tourism sector must be prepared for whatever changes in terms of trends and travel habits of tourists during wet and dry seasons, he added.

Durano also spoke of “immeasurable benefits and trickle-down effects” that the international tourism fair will bring to Cebu, as the main venue, as well as Bohol, which will be visited by delegates.

“The visit will show the sustainable eco-tourism of Bohol. It should be a role model for a balanced tourism development and nature preservation,” he said.

Durano lauded the efforts of tourism stakeholders and local government units in Bohol, “who have become the pillars in making the province one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the Philippines.”

DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said with the international media mileage that Cebu and Bohol will be getting, both provinces — “with their renowned capacity to attract visitors” — is guaranteed to be in the world map as a destination for leisure, and international meetings, conventions, incentives, and exhibitions.

DTI, DOT ink pact for marketing of OTOP products in Central Visayas

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7, will hold a familiarization tour of towns taking part in the One Town, One Product (Otop) project.

The tour will enable DTI 7 and DOT 7 to effectively market Otop products and services among foreign and domestic tourists.

DTI 7 presented some Otop products in Cebu and other parts of Central Visayas to a group of local tour guides and tour operators in a briefing last Monday.

The joint venture of DTI 7 and DOT 7 is the first in the region and the second nationwide, said DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte.

Caberte said the familiarization tour of successful Otop areas by tour guides and operators “will help provide a new dimension in the region’s tourism packages,” especially since Central Visayas is described as the tourism gateway of the Philippines.

“They can incorporate Otop stories into the town’s history and narrate it to tourists,” she said in an interview. She pointed out that since tour guides are likened to “walking billboards,” they would be the right people to tap in the promotion of Otop products. (wowphilippines)