4th OTOP Visayas Island Fair on November 18 - 22

More than a hundred OTOP Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from Region 6, Region 7, and Region 8 are expected to join the 4th Visayas One Town One Product (OTOP) Fair from November 18 to 22, 2009 at the SM City Cebu atrium.

Products for sale are souvenir items, novelty items, gift items, furniture and furnishings, natural fiber, and fashion accessories such as bags, shawls, headgears, processed food and footwear. Tourist destinations have also been included in the OTOP marketing program.

Cebu was chosen as the venue this year because it is the center of trade and commerce in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

Invited to attend the fair are buyers from Manila and from the regions, governors and mayors and other government officials from the National Government Agencies, among others.

The 4th Visayas OTOP fair will focus on selling the products produced by the MSMEs of the three regions under the OTOP Philippines program.

OTOP is one of the priority programs of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs in the countryside.

It encourages the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to produce and market distinct products or services using indigenous raw materials and local skills of every municipality or city.

While DTI is the project’s marketing arm, OTOP is a “collaborative” effort of all sectors in the society, with the local government units (LGUs) as the lead.

Executives of the Local Government Units (LGUs) take the lead in identifying, developing, and promoting a specific product or service which has a competitive advantage.

The DTI through its Provincial Offices assist the LGUs in identifying the specific product and coordinated other forms of assistance from other government agencies such as the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Science and Technology (DOST), Tourism (DOT) and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), among others.

Package of assistance include business counseling, skills and entrepreneurial training, marketing, and introduction of appropriate technologies.

The 1st and 3rd OTOP fair was held in Cebu City, while the 2^nd fair was held in Boracay.

It is focused on the product development initiatives of the DTI highlighting the tourism and market potentials of the Supra Region, the Central Philippines , which attracts more than half of the foreign tourists in the country.

For businesses that lack high level of marketing, an intra-regional exhibit like the Visayas Otop (One Town, One Product) Fair is a good opportunity to showcase “the best of Philippine products. This is a venue for them to be recognized, especially that this fair covers the entire Central Philippines.

Cebu still top emerging outsourcing city of the world

For the second consecutive year, Cebu has emerged as the number one “Emerging Outsourcing City” of the world.

Based on the latest report released by Tholons, a leading full-service strategic advisory firm for Global Outsourcing and Investments, Cebu bested other cities in the world like Shanghai and Beijing in China, Krakow in Poland, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

In its fourth year, Tholons not only lists/ranks the eight established and 50 emerging destinations, but also ranks the Next 10 aspiring cities ‘on the Tholons Radar.’

The report also provides relative scores of each of the cities for the six parameters of scale and quality of labor pool, cost, business catalyst, infrastructure, risk and quality of life, which are a part of the Tholons Location Assessment Framework.

The study views offshore destinations and location assessment from the perspective of the clients.

The Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector is now under pressure to improve its rank from number one emerging BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) destination in the world, to fully emerged BPO destination.

NERBAC – 7 receives public service award from CSC

The National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center in Central Visayas (NERBAC – 7) was awarded a recognition by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on September 25, 2009 at the CSC Multi-Purpose Hall in Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City.

This was the result of the CSC’s conduct of the Public Service Delivery Assessment (PASADA) covering the period August 26, 2008 and August 2009 with a rating of “VERY GOOD” in exhibiting the value of customer care and meeting the expectations of the transacting public for prompt, courteous, responsive, facilitative and pleasant service.

DTI – 7 Regional Director and NERBAC Chairman Asteria C. Caberte shares the award with the NERBAC’s members of the Governing Board, specially the heads of the participating mandatory agencies and the Cebu City Government, without whose cooperation and commitment, the Center would not be possible.

NERBAC is a project created by RA # 7470 that aims to reduce red tape, improve effectiveness and efficiency in government services. One of NERBAC’s functions is to create a friendly business registration, permitting and licensing environment.

The Center, located at the ground floor of the LDM building, Lapu-lapu and Legaspi Sts., Cebu City, houses representatives from the mandatory agencies like the (BIR, SSS, PhilHealth & Pag-IBIG) in registering business and the Cebu City Hall for the initial processing of new applications for Mayor’s Business Permit. It functions as a one-stop-shop for business registration.

Members of the NERBAC-7 Governing Board from the government are the Department of Agriculture, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Social Security System, Bureau of Internal Revenue, PhilHealth Insurance Corporation and the Pag-IBIG FUND. From the private sector, Cebu Investment Promotions Center, Bohol Investment Promotions Center, Negros Oriental Investment Promotions Center, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and the University of San Carlos.

FAME Foundation holds fashion accessories exhibition in Cebu, Sept 26-28

On September 26-28, 2009, international buyers will converge on Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort And Spa in Cebu, Philippines for a unique Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Fair that merges business and pleasure.

Organized by the Fashion Accessories Manufacturers And Exporters Foundation Philippines, Inc. (FAME Foundation), Bijoux Cebu is a trade-only exhibition that showcases an extensive collection of fashion accessories - costume jewelry, bags, sandals, components - focusing on the highly popular trend of eco-fashion.

This year’s exhibition will present the Spring-Summer 2010 Collection - an extensive and all-original collection of Philippine green jewelry.

In addition, Bijoux Cebu 2009 will be an interactive and experiential trade show that builds on industry knowledge, business relationships, and social responsibility, and will share exclusive behind-the-scenes peeks at the industry.

Bijoux Cebu is scheduled right after the September 2009 edition of the Asia’s Fashion Jewellery And Accessories Fair (AFJAF) in Hongkong. A good number of AFJAF’s buyers already visit Cebu after the show, either for business or pleasure. Bijoux Cebu, offering both a commercial and social experience, will give them an even stronger reason for going to Cebu after AFJAF.

Bijoux Cebu provides buyers a never-before-revealed insight and deeper understanding of the Philippines’ craftsmanship & ingenuity, design capabilities, and wide variety of raw materials

The trade exhibition provides buyers with the opportunity for on-the-spot product design & development based on their requirements, since samples of all raw materials will be readily available during the show. It also supports the Go Green initiative of the Foundation and provides numerous livelihood opportunities to the rural communities

There is no admission fee to Bijoux Cebu for all buyers and special guests.
Special rates for accommodations at Shangri -la’s Mactan Resort And Spa have also been arranged and are exclusive for pre-registered buyers. (http://www.bijouxcebu.com/events.html)

Philippine exporters hold grand sale of quality products in Cebu

On August 27-30, more than 70 exporters in the country will unload their inventories for the local market at the least possible price during the Exporters’ Expo in Cebu

Spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7), the event is slated at the SM City Cebu Atrium as part of the agency’s effort to help the ailing export sector amid the weak market interest due to the financial crisis.

Cebu, the furniture export capital of the Philippines accounting for about 60 percent of monthly exports, is feeling the brunt of the global financial crisis with foreign orders steadily declining.

According to DTI, the Exporters’ Expo is just one of the ways DTI assists exporters survive the crisis.

DTI added that the event is also an opportunity for the local market to avail of the world-class furniture products at very affordable prices.

Aside from furniture products, the Exporters’ Expo will feature world-class products such as fashion accessories, gifts-toys-and housewares, among others.

The furniture manufacturers in Cebu is tapping the domestic market in order to survive but focus is on selling to institutional customers.

The four-day exposition is expected to attract buyers from all over the Philippines, as well as foreign tourists.

This is the first time that the government has extended its hand to invite exporters to join the Exporters’ Expo and allow local retail market to avail of the export quality products.

For more information on the Exporters’ Expo, interested parties may call the Trade Development and Promotion Division at 412-1868, 255-0036-37, or 412-1989 local 601 or 602.

DTI 7 and Cebu GTH receive 2009 Presidential Citation for Best Practice in improving access to markets

The Department of Trade and Industry Central Visayas (DTI7) and the Cebu Gifts, Toys and Housewares Foundation (Cebu-GTH), represented by DTI regional director Asteria Caberte and exporter Jenifer Cruz, recently received a 2009 Presidential Citation for Best Practice in improving access to markets for implementing the Subcontracting Partners for Innovation (SPIN) program during the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development Week at the Megatrade Hall 3 , SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

The SPIN Program, a government-private undertaking, not only generates employment for weavers but likewise assists exporters in increasing production volume of exported products.

Under the program, weavers in the countryside are made to undergo skills training on weaving and craftsmanship after which, their hand-made products are bought by the exporters once these passed quality standards. In this way, rebel returnees and indigents can immediately earn an income after a hard day's work with their earnings dependent on the number of products they make.

SPIN trainings are focused on a “market driven” scheme wherein the products to be made by the trained group are actual export orders. Most exporters who do not have enough workers to do the job orders of their clients subcontract some of these processes.

SPIN training outputs pass the quality standards of the Cebu GTH member-exporters. The trainees will have immediate purchase orders (POs) which would mean immediate income for them.

The SPIN program is developed and spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 (DTI) upon the directive of President Gloria Arroyo. The program is in line with the thrust of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on employment generation which is enshrined in her 10-point program of action for 2004-2010.

Months after the Subcontracting Partners for Innovation Network (SPIN) program was rolled out to cleared conflict areas and marginalized sectors in the country, residents who have been beneficiaries of skills trainings conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Cebu Gifts, Toys, and Housewares Foundation (Cebu-GTH) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, have already delivered the booked orders of exporters.

As of June 2009, the SPIN Program has been rolled out to 9 regions in the country including regions 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and CARAGA. Around 109 trainings already benefited 35 MSMEs and 2,622 people. It has received booked orders amounting to Php 67.17598 M.

In Central Visayas, 45 municipalities have benefited from the program. Around 77 trainings have generated 1,791 jobs. Booked orders for hapao baskets, placemats, tip towels and trays have reached Php 59.863 M.

SPIN weavers showcase products during the Sandugo Regional OTOP Trade Fair 2009

Months after the Subcontracting Partners for Innovation Network (SPIN) program was rolled out to cleared conflict areas and marginalized sectors in Central Visayas, residents who have been beneficiaries of skills trainings conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Cebu Gifts, Toys, and Housewares Foundation (Cebu-GTH) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, have already delivered the booked orders of exporters.

As of June 2009, the SPIN Program has been rolled out to 9 regions in the country including regions 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and CARAGA. Around 109 trainings already benefited 35 MSMEs and 2,622 people. It has received booked orders amounting to Php 67.17598 M.

In Central Visayas, 45 municipalities have benefited from the program. Around 77 trainings have generated 1,791 jobs. Booked orders for hapao baskets, placemats, tip towels and trays have reached Php 59.863 M.

SPIN trainings are focused on a “market driven” scheme wherein the products to be made by the trained group are actual export orders. Most exporters who do not have enough workers to do the job orders of their clients subcontract some of these processes.

SPIN training outputs pass the quality standards of the Cebu GTH member-exporters. The trainees will have immediate purchase orders (POs) which would mean immediate income for them.

The SPIN Program, a government-private undertaking, not only generates employment for weavers but likewise assists exporters in increasing production volume of exported products.

Under the program, weavers are made to undergo skills training on craftsmanship after which, their hand-made products are bought by the exporters once these passed quality standards. In this way, weavers can immediately earn an income after a hard day's work with their earnings dependent on the number of products they make.

The SPIN program is spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 (DTI) upon the directive of President Gloria Arroyo. The program is in line with the thrust of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on employment generation which is enshrined in her 10-point program of action for 2004-2010.

Products of trained SPIN weavers will be featured along with other top quality products of manufacturers in Central Visayas during the Sandugo Regional Trade Fair on July 22-26, 2009 at the Island City Mall in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

With the theme “MSMEs Positioning For Global Rebound”, the trade fair will be a culmination of a series of skills trainings and product development initiatives geared towards improving the quality and design of the export-oriented crafts and ethnic food in the region.