2nd Visayas Region OTOP fair kicks off May 23 in Boracay
BY T. VILLAVERT

BORACAY - Some 112 One Town One Product (OTOP) Small and Medium Enterprises from Region VI, Region VII and RegionVIII will gather at La Carmela Resort in Boracay Island for the Second Visayas OTOP Fair, May 23-27, 2007.
OTOP is a priority program of President Arroyo and it is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and create more jobs in the countryside. Recently, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Development Bank of the Philippines has signed a Memorandum of Agreement to help fast track the loan processing to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise in the country.
DTI VI Information Officer Ruby Melliza said that the five-day affair in Boracay island will focus on selling the products produced by the SMEs of the three regions under the DTI OTOP Philippines program.
The activity, Melliza said, also serves as a vehicle to showcase the OTOP’s of the three Visayas regions, likewise highlighting the tourism and market potentials of the Central Philippines Super Region which have attracted more than half of the foreign tourists in the country.
A fashion show, featuring the handloom woven products from pina, abaca and raffia fibers is expected to give a boost to the plant fiber and the loom weaving industries.
The Second Visayan OTOP Fair will be highlighted by a night market on the beach from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. daily, while regular selling from 2:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. daily, will be conducted at the second floor of the Carmela Resort. In last year’s First OTOP Fair held in Cebu City, the generated sales was recorded at P3.77 million, Melliza concluded.
In a related development, Antique’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is set to join Visayas One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) Fair in Boracay Aklan together with the participants in Region 6, 7 and 8, said Jocelyn Perez, Senior Trade and Industry Specialist of Department of Trade and Industry Antique.
Antique Muscovado Cooperative leads the group bringing Antique’s OTOP banner product muscovado sugar with four other small entrepreneurs and cooperatives. These are Dela Fuente Bakeshop selling quality breads and pastries like “Otap” that can compete with top selling brands in the region and Diday Sweet delicacies with specialty on coconut candies commonly known as “bandi” and other sugar based products.
Agrarian Reform Communities through the Multi-Purpose Cooperatives in the towns of San Remigio and Laua-an will also join the fair to showcase the high value crops and processed vegetables of their areas, said Engr. Arlene Galopo of DTI.
Display booth will be provided for the participating SMEs/province. DTI stressed that this year’s fair is a selling fair with emphasis on promoting OTOP as a brand.
Among the activities during the fair in Boracay area are night market which will be opened at 7PM to 11PM every night at the pool side area of Carmela Resort. Opening program will be on May 23 at 6PM and exhibits will be opened at 2-11PM to synchronize the buying behavior time prevailing in the island.
Visayas OTOP fair will also have special events to feature food and crafts from each region. Each Region shall be assigned a night to highlight respective OTOP to include free tasting of food products. One night during the 5-day fair, a local band will be invited to provide music depicting popular song s and festival rhythm of the Visayas Regions.
Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has earlier directed all government agencies and instrumentalities to simplify rules and regulations, reduce reportorial requirements and eliminate fees and charges on export clearance, permits and other documentation requirements to cut red tape and to facilitate ease in doing business and encourage more investments in the country.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also encouraged the local banking sector to increase the SME loans in their loan portfolios.