Citem gears up top Philippine brands for Dubai international brand licensing fair

MANILA, Philippines - Amid reports of Arab investors eyeing Philippine brands for master franchises, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is gearing up 11 of the country’s top food, fashion and personal care brands for the Middle East and North African markets.

The brands are fully compliant with international standards of quality, and ready to be exhibited at the 8th Dubai International Brand Licensing Fair on Nov. 3 and 4, according to a press statement issued by the DTI’s export promotions arm Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) recently.

CITEM executive director Rosvi C. Gaetos said the brands were specifically targeted at the fair’s over 4,000 trade buyers and visitors from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), having an aggregate consumer population of 357.3 million and regional gross domestic product of $1.523 trillion as of last year.

Gaetos also cited MENA’s $30-billion franchise economy and flourishing retail industry as the main draw for the Philippines’ participation in the fair slated at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

“We are joining the fair to open an alternative market for Philippine brands and companies, establish their global presence and build a strong image for Philippine manufacturers  and SMEs in offering top-quality, reliable, and valuable products,” Gaetos said as she described the event as a “first-class business platform for partnerships and updates on brand licensing and merchandising programs and deals.”

This development comes amid reports of Middle Eastern investors eyeing Philippine brands for national or master franchises in their respective Arab countries, whose consumer base extends to nearby North Africa just across the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and bordering the southernmost tip of Western Europe.

With seminars, business matching and trade forum, the Dubai fair provides an ideal venue for CITEM’s “Philippines: Brands in Motion” initiative, which grooms homegrown companies and their product brands for the world market.

The 11 brands to be showcased at the Dubai fair are Anemone Swim, Karimadon, Onésimus, Shirt Bar by Onésimus, and Periwinkle for fashion; Bibingkinitan!, Chef Tony’s, Holy Kettle by Chef Tony, Fruit Magic, and Goldilocks for food; and Oryspa for personal care.

A related event in Indonesia in September last year saw a highly-successful exhibit of nine Philippine fashion brands, prompting CITEM to expand its exhibit lineup and include food and personal care in its product offering in the forthcoming Dubai fair.

Assisting CITEM (www.citem.gov.ph) in this event are business support and trade promotion organizations Philippine Franchise Association, Philippine Trade and Investment Center – Dubai, and the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau.