Western Visayas – Fifty three (53) producers, 19 of which have availed of product development assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry, will join the regional fair dubbed “Panubli-onEncounter 2011.” The fair will be presented in three promotional events. First, is the setting up of an Information Booth to cater the information needs of the buyers and the general public at the Greenbelt 1 in front of Rustan’s Express Lane from 31 May to 4 June 2011; second, is a Market Encounter with institutional and foreign buyers at the RAMCAR and Metro Pacific Rooms at the Asian Institute of Management, Conference Center, Benavidez St., Makati City, on 2-4 June 2011; and third, is a selling fair for the general public at the Atrium of Glorietta 5, Makati City on 4-8 June.
DTI Regional Director Dominic P. Abad said that the highlight of the activity is the Market Encounter which will showcase the capabilities of the 19 producers who have underwent product development assistance to cater to the different institutional buyers from big stores in Manila and foreign markets through their embassies in countries like Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Portugal, Russia, India, and China. The Market Encounter will employ a different approach to holding trade fairs as target buyers will be given an exclusive zone to meet producers and negotiate with them. It will be a special event wherein products of the region will be presented in a lifestyle setting arranged by the designers from the Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines (PDDCP). Invited to attend during the opening on June 2 are Institutional Buyers and Foreign Attaches from the different Embassies in Manila, DTI Officials, Local Chief Executives and Presidents and Heads of various Private Sector Groups in the Region.
Before the activity, the DTI has prepared a 2-phase product development clinic for the 19 producers who painstakingly prepared 126 designs of various products that would appeal to the aforementioned markets. These are piña cloth and fashion accessories, fashionable bags and baskets using indigenous materials, housewares made of nito, pandan and bariw fibers, uniquely handwoven materials of hablon, raffia and sinamay, novelty items of fiberglass, ceramics, terra cotta, bamboo, coco and capiz shells, and decors of fossilized leaves and handmade paper. Guimaras mangoes and assortment of mouth watering delicacies will also be featured.
Panubli-on started as a regional fair in 2003 and was held in various locations in Manila, and the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod. This is the 6th Panubli-on fair conducted by DTI Region 6. DTI is inviting the general public and the buyers to visit the fair. -30- DTI-PRO
