Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Zamboanga Firms Join National Trade Fair

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Several companies from the Zamboanga Peninsula region have confirmed their participation in this year’s National Trade Fair in Manila.

The Department of Trade and Industry said among the firms which will participate in the trade fair are YY Sea International, Mega Fishing Corporation, Tito Mike’s Food Company, Revil Crafts and Fashion Accessories and ADS Bamboo Craft.

These firms are regular participants to the NTF and are consistent top sellers in the categories of food, gifts, toys and house wares. The regional participants were also recipients of the coveted Best Dressed Booths awards in the previous NTF competitions.

The NTF 2007, according to its organizers, will highlight the country’s unique warmth and color through a fascinating array of arts and crafts made by Filipino artisans across the whole breadth of the Philippine archipelago.
“NTF 2007 is expected to depict and to celebrate the unique Filipino lifestyle”, said executive director Fe Aragoncillo, of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

This year’s trade fair will occupy three huge exhibition halls at the SM Megamall from March 14-18 and is expected to draw thousands of local and foreign buyers.

NTF is considered as the most important domestic marketing activity in the Philippines spearheaded by CITEM, an agency under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It provides the perfect venue for the country’s small enterprises to get noticed by exporters and distributors, both local and foreign.

NTF bridges the SME exhibitors to buyers through pre-arranged business matching sessions thereby opening vast opportunities for them to create or expand their market niches here and abroad. With NTF’s help, many SMEs have graduated to become big, profitable ventures according to CITEM.

This NTF 2007 will also highlight products produced under the so-called One Town, One Product (OTOP) program of President Gloria Arroyo.

To further entice buyers and visitors to the fair, other activities will be conducted side by side with the fair. These include livelihood seminars to be conducted in cooperation with the Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC) and Philippine Chamber of Handicraft Industry (PCHI).

Also, the ASEA Japan Center (AJC) will conduct a packaging seminar for the exhibitors. This is to introduce new packaging ideas and technologies that will further boost the global competitiveness of Philippine-made products.
The DTI’s Bureau of Domestic Trade (BDT) will create special raw materials setting for seashells, woody vines, and climbing bamboo.

The setting will also include new process and applications of said raw materials. For those searching for suppliers of raw materials, BDT personnel at the fair site can help them access the Bureau’s extensive database of reliable raw materials suppliers in the country.

NTF 2007 is expected to surpass the P82.44 million sales and 20,000 visitors generated in last year’s NTF.
Aragoncillo said those interested to join the trade fair can go to the nearest DTI office or call the Special Projects Division, CITEM at Tel: (632) 8312336 and 831-2201 extensions 261 and 263; or fax them as (632) 832-3985 / 834- 0177. (Lowell Vallecer)

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