DTI: Export-quality tokens to greet ASEAN delegates

CEBU, Philippines - Local products will be showcased during the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) meetings in Cebu and Bohol next month.

In an interview yesterday, Department of Trade and Industry regional director Asteria Caberte said a pop-up store will be put up in Henan Resort in Bohol, featuring the locally-made products in Region 7, in time for the ASEAN meetings to be held there on April 18-22.

This pop-up store will be specially curated with a local design, she said.

She also said that a hand-crafted brass tarsier made by Lapu-Lapu City-based exporter Arden Classic Inc. is the token to be given to delegates in the Bohol ASEAN meetings.

For the Cebu delegates, Minglanilla-based exporter Bon-Ace Fashion Tools Inc. founded by Ramir Bonghanoy will provide wave vase.

According to the Department of Tourism, an arts and crafts tour in Mactan Island will also be done during the meeting week, aside from the historical and optional tours.

Cebu will host finance and central bank ministerial meetings from April 3-7.

DOT in Region 7 said around 300 delegates are expected in this meetings to be hosted by Department of Finance and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The Department of National Defense will also host the 1st ASEAN Defense Senior Officials Meeting and ADSOM-Plus Meetings from April 5-7, expecting around 150 delegates.

The DOT is set to organize a welcome dinner and cultural presentation for the respective meetings in Cebu hotels.

Caberte expects the local tourism industry to get a boost from the ASEAN meetings as delegates are expected to splurge here.

"The first recipient of this splurging is our SMEs," she said.

The ASEAN Summit 2017 coincides with the 10-nation bloc's 50th anniversary.

ASEAN is a regional organization comprising 10 South East Asian states namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. (FREEMAN)