Micro, small, medium enterprises
from Visayas display wares in Boracay
BY MAX V. DE LEON
from Visayas display wares in Boracay
BY MAX V. DE LEON
BORACAY - A total of 107 micro, small and medium enterprises from the Visayas participating in the government’s One-Town, One-Product (OTOP) program get to display their wares to foreign tourists in the white-sand beaches of Boracay in a five-day fair that started Wednesday.
Participating in the fair are 46 exhibitors from Region 6, 37 in Region 7 and 30 in Region 8.
“It is our first time to have a DTI trade fair in Boracay. Aside from sharing our beautiful beaches, we need to develop local products that we can sell to local and foreign tourists,” said Trade and Industry Undersecretary Carissa Cruz-Evangelista of the Regional Operations Group, who is also the OTOP national program manager.
Cruz-Evangelista said this year’s fair will feature product improvements made by entrepreneurs from last year’s presentation, which served as the first Visayas OTOP fair held at SM City Cebu from November 23 to 26.
She said OTOP consultants have helped the producers to make their products more competitive in the market by providing more input for design, merchandising and packaging.
“Success of OTOP hinges on local government support and the support of our partner line agencies, like the Department of Tourism, which is promoting our rich culture, traditional travel spots nationwide,” she said.
“Also, each municipality has to buy into the idea that it needs to create a product or service for which it will be known for not only in the national but also for the international sector,” Cruz-Evangelista said.
The OTOP is a priority government program that aims to spur countryside development by encouraging more people to engage in home-grown business.
Since OTOP’s inception in 2004, it has now 1,240 validated municipal and provincial OTOP products. Ten regions are now exporting their OTOP products to the world.
As of December 2006, the program has generated P3.2 billion worth of investments and 142,227 new jobs, developed 3,589 new SMEs and assisted 9,473 small businesses.
Participating in the fair are 46 exhibitors from Region 6, 37 in Region 7 and 30 in Region 8.
“It is our first time to have a DTI trade fair in Boracay. Aside from sharing our beautiful beaches, we need to develop local products that we can sell to local and foreign tourists,” said Trade and Industry Undersecretary Carissa Cruz-Evangelista of the Regional Operations Group, who is also the OTOP national program manager.
Cruz-Evangelista said this year’s fair will feature product improvements made by entrepreneurs from last year’s presentation, which served as the first Visayas OTOP fair held at SM City Cebu from November 23 to 26.
She said OTOP consultants have helped the producers to make their products more competitive in the market by providing more input for design, merchandising and packaging.
“Success of OTOP hinges on local government support and the support of our partner line agencies, like the Department of Tourism, which is promoting our rich culture, traditional travel spots nationwide,” she said.
“Also, each municipality has to buy into the idea that it needs to create a product or service for which it will be known for not only in the national but also for the international sector,” Cruz-Evangelista said.
The OTOP is a priority government program that aims to spur countryside development by encouraging more people to engage in home-grown business.
Since OTOP’s inception in 2004, it has now 1,240 validated municipal and provincial OTOP products. Ten regions are now exporting their OTOP products to the world.
As of December 2006, the program has generated P3.2 billion worth of investments and 142,227 new jobs, developed 3,589 new SMEs and assisted 9,473 small businesses.
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