Mimaropa trade fair seen to yield P50-M sales

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expects micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) participating in the upcoming MIMAROPA (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) Naturally Agri-Trade and Tourism Fair to generate  about P50 million in sales.

In a statement, the DTI said over 130 MSMEs are set to participate in the fourth edition of the trade and tourism fair which will be held on Oct.17 to 21 at the Megatrade halls of SM Megamall.

This year’s target sales are higher than the P47.9 million worth of sales generated by 131 MSMEs that took part in last year’s trade and tourism fair.

Participating MSMEs will showcase products including processed food, furniture and home furnishings, wearables fashion accessories, bags and footwear, and gifts and holiday decors.

The trade and tourism fair will likewise feature a One Town, One Product (OTOP) Next Gen special setting to show MSME products made with assistance from the DTI.

Through the OTOP Next Gen program, the DTI assists MSMEs to help improve the quality, development, design, packaging, standards compliance, marketability, and brand of their products.

Tourist destinations in MIMAROPA will also be presented during the event.

To help expand the reach of MIMAROPA MSMEs, the DTI invited 129 institutional buyers from Metro Manila for the closed door buyers’ hour at the event.

“We are proud to announce that the DTI MIMAROPA Region, in coordination with other concerned government agencies and local and provincial units in the region, will open another year of MIMAROPA Naturally to provide an avenue to MIMAROPA MSMEs to better market their products to buyers in Metro Manila and establish constitutional buyers. Hopefully, some of the MSMEs reach the export market,” DTI MIMAROPA regional director Joel Valera said.