"Dako kaayo ug natabang ang kining OTOP trade fair sa akong negosyo," (The OTOP Trade Fair has been a big help to my business), thus enthused Christina Angana, a small-time exporter of fashion accessories in Cebu City.
Angana is one of the 160 entrepreneurs coming from Regions 6, 7 and 8 that is joining the five-day '3rd One Town, One Product (OTOP) Visayas Island Fair' in Cebu City.
During a PIA forum this morning that featured the marketing event, Angana bared that since the annual OTOP Trade Fair was launched three years ago, her establishment called Hanas has since then participated in the yearly activity.
Last year, Hanas was able to sell all its displayed products in Boracay Island in Aklan during the 2nd OTOP Trade Fair held in Region 6.
Angana said that last year, she paid P5,000 for the booth and displayed an array of products mostly fashion accessories and bags made of local raw materials from Cebu worth P120,000. After the fair, her capital grew by 60 percent more, Angana added.
Angana said her small company is still very new of about five years so she needs all the promotion and marketing she could get to attract new and potential buyers.
The annual OTOP Visayas Island Fair is initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) from Regions 6, 7 and 8 as an effective marketing strategy to provide an avenue for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to showcase their products using raw materials indigenous to their hometown or services that promote their area as a tourism destination.
As the trade fair kicked off today that will last until Sunday, Angana said she paid P4,000 for the booth displaying products worth P150,000 as she is optimistic that all her items will be sold and since the venue is Cebu City, she will have no problems getting stocks once all her items will be sold out.
Angana said her products are made of raw materials found in Cebu's various towns like the coco shells of Pardo, the wood from Asturias and other local materials from Bohol, Carmen and Badian.
Some of her bags are already exported to Japan and Dubai, according to Angana.
Through the annual OTOP Trade Fair, "my products will be able to get more attention and attract the local market," claimed Angana.
Elias Tecson, DTI-Cebu Project Management Division Chief said the OTOP Program said there are 33 MSMEs from Cebu that are participating in the trade fair while the total participants from Central Visayas number 57.
Tecson said the OTOP Program which basically supports MSMEs to manufacture, offer and market distinctive products or services through the use of indigenous materials and local skills and talents is designed to encourage entrepreneurship and local patronage of native products as well as generate employment in the countryside.
Business counseling, skills and entrepreneurial training, product design and development, appropriate technologies and marketing are the assistance provided to MSMEs under the OTOP Program, Tecson further said.
In case a small entrepreneur lacks capital to go into mass production, the DTI also helps in facilitating a financial loan to the government financial institutions, Tecson said.
The DTI is the OTOP project's marketing arm although it is a collaborative effort among national government agencies like the Department of Science and Technology, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Tourism, government financial institutions and the private sector as most importantly, the local government units (LGUs), this is learned.
Tecson urged the public to patronize local products to help the MSMEs as this will also have an impact to the local economy and help provide jobs. (PIA)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
160 exhibitors join OTOP Visayas Island Fair in Cebu City
Around 160 exhibitors are showcasing their products and goods made of raw materials distinctively found in the Visayas in the five-day '3rd One Town, One Product (OTOP) Visayas Island Fair' that kicked off today until Sunday at SM City Cebu.
Several booths have been set up displaying an array of products such as souvenir and novelty items, gift items, home decors, natural fiber, processed food, footwear and wearables that include fashion accessories, bags, shawls and head gears among others.
Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Regions 6, 7 & 8, the annual trade fair is a marketing event that aims to assist the small and medium entrepreneurs to showcase and promote their products and boost sales revenues as well as find potential buyers for their items.
Elias Tecson, DTI-Cebu Project Management Division Chief during the Kapihan sa PIA this morning that featured the trade fair, bared there are 57 participants coming from Central Visayas and of this figure, 33 entrepreneurs from Cebu are joining the annual event.
Tecson said this is the second time Cebu has hosted the annual OTOP Fair, the first time was when the event was launched in 2006 while last year, the trade fair was held in Boracay Island, a popular tourist destination located in Region 6.
Lea Gonzales, DTI-6 Business Development Division Chief in the same forum disclosed there are 27 participating entrepreneurs from Western Visayas occupying 22 booths.
Well-known products and goods from Region 6 on display include delicacies such as biscocho, baked specialty products, casoy nuts from Guimaras, Barong Tagalog made of pina cloth from Kalibo in Aklan, cut foliage from Capiz and a mixture of gift and home items.
The annual trade fair is an identified marketing strategy under the OTOP Program of the DTI, which is a flagship program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs, according to Tecson.
Through the program, local chief executives tale the lead in identifying, developing, and promoting a specific product or service that has a competitive advantage, Tecson added.
The essence of the program is basically to help and support the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to manufacture, offer and market distinctive products or services through the use of indigenous raw materials and local skills and talents, it is said.
Apart from encouraging entrepreneurship and local patronage of native products and generate jobs, the program also provides the means to experience their culture and heritage through the various towns and their specialties or delicacies, this is learned.
Tecson said the OTOP Program is a comprehensive assistance package through a convergence of services from national government agencies, local government units and the private sector. DTI is responsible for the advocacy of the program and marketing of the OTOP products while the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) focuses on the technology development assistance while the Department of Tourism takes charge in the tourism promotion of the cities and municipalities that are selling their areas as tourist destinations like Moalboal in Cebu, a world-class diving spot while the government financial institutions provide the financial aid to entrepreneurs.
Specific assistance given to entrepreneurs is business counseling, skills and entrepreneurial training, product design and development, appropriate technologies and marketing, Tecson revealed.
The program however, targets MSMEs with an asset size of not more than P100M which accounts for about 99 percent of business establishments. (PIA)
Several booths have been set up displaying an array of products such as souvenir and novelty items, gift items, home decors, natural fiber, processed food, footwear and wearables that include fashion accessories, bags, shawls and head gears among others.
Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Regions 6, 7 & 8, the annual trade fair is a marketing event that aims to assist the small and medium entrepreneurs to showcase and promote their products and boost sales revenues as well as find potential buyers for their items.
Elias Tecson, DTI-Cebu Project Management Division Chief during the Kapihan sa PIA this morning that featured the trade fair, bared there are 57 participants coming from Central Visayas and of this figure, 33 entrepreneurs from Cebu are joining the annual event.
Tecson said this is the second time Cebu has hosted the annual OTOP Fair, the first time was when the event was launched in 2006 while last year, the trade fair was held in Boracay Island, a popular tourist destination located in Region 6.
Lea Gonzales, DTI-6 Business Development Division Chief in the same forum disclosed there are 27 participating entrepreneurs from Western Visayas occupying 22 booths.
Well-known products and goods from Region 6 on display include delicacies such as biscocho, baked specialty products, casoy nuts from Guimaras, Barong Tagalog made of pina cloth from Kalibo in Aklan, cut foliage from Capiz and a mixture of gift and home items.
The annual trade fair is an identified marketing strategy under the OTOP Program of the DTI, which is a flagship program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs, according to Tecson.
Through the program, local chief executives tale the lead in identifying, developing, and promoting a specific product or service that has a competitive advantage, Tecson added.
The essence of the program is basically to help and support the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to manufacture, offer and market distinctive products or services through the use of indigenous raw materials and local skills and talents, it is said.
Apart from encouraging entrepreneurship and local patronage of native products and generate jobs, the program also provides the means to experience their culture and heritage through the various towns and their specialties or delicacies, this is learned.
Tecson said the OTOP Program is a comprehensive assistance package through a convergence of services from national government agencies, local government units and the private sector. DTI is responsible for the advocacy of the program and marketing of the OTOP products while the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) focuses on the technology development assistance while the Department of Tourism takes charge in the tourism promotion of the cities and municipalities that are selling their areas as tourist destinations like Moalboal in Cebu, a world-class diving spot while the government financial institutions provide the financial aid to entrepreneurs.
Specific assistance given to entrepreneurs is business counseling, skills and entrepreneurial training, product design and development, appropriate technologies and marketing, Tecson revealed.
The program however, targets MSMEs with an asset size of not more than P100M which accounts for about 99 percent of business establishments. (PIA)
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Raw materials showcase highlighted in 3rd OTOP Visayas Fair
To attract more exporters, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will set-up a special setting showcasing different raw materials and how it can be transformed into novelty artworks.
"We would like to show to the public, especially our institutional buyers, what other natural resources the Visayas has to offer thru the "Raw Materials Showcase", DTI
Raw materials on display at the trade fair will include Kawayan Tinik, Gmelina or Melina, Ipil-ipil, Fibers of Banana plant, Fossilized Flowers, Corn, Recycled Materials, Woven Fibers, Coconut Husk, Bayog, Tinik, Tickling, Bolo, Lanao, Buho, Fossilized/ Skeletonized Leaves, among others.
Caberte added that for this year's trade activity, new products and new designs will be offered for sale and order-taking. "We hope to generate robust sales with the coming holiday season."
Several new products/designs coming from the different MSMEs were developed thru the product development efforts of the DTI. "Products under the One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) program will be the main feature in this fair," Caberte said.
More than a hundred entrepreneurs from Central, Eastern and
A side activity during the trade fair is a financing forum on November 14 at the SM City Cebu function room.
The financing forum will have representatives from DBP, LBP, Quedancor, SB Corp. and Planters Bank as speakers.
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