KORONADAL CITY, SOUTH COTABATO – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 12 in partnership with Shopee Philippines, one of the leading e-commerce platforms in the country, will market the products of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of Region 12 in an online trade fair dubbed as Shopee x Treasures of Region 12: Tatak Pinoy! Virtual Trade Fair on 19-21 February 2021.
It is DTI-Region 12’s first time to organize and partner with an e-commerce company to conduct a national online trade fair that will be participated by 80 MSME-exhibitors with about 350 food and non-food products.
Aside from the products of Region 12, DTI-Region 4A, Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotions (BDTP), Go Lokal!, and DTI / USAID’s Women Entrepreneurship Program will also be featured in the Shopee platform as a campaign to support MSMEs and their local products.
Starting on 19 February, Shopee’s front page will feature the “Tatak Pinoy!” campaign banner containing the logos of DTI and the said participating stakeholders. When clicked, the banner will lead users to the Treasures of Region 12 microsite showcasing the best of the best of Region 12.
The Treasures of Region 12 as a physical fair was started by DTI-Region 12 in 2014 to showcase the variety of products from export-ready food items to high-quality arts, crafts, and furniture. But with the series of earthquakes that rocked Mindanao including Region 12 in 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the conduct of the said fair was postponed.
This virtual fair is an innovation of DTI-Region 12 to keep the MSMEs afloat and generate sales brought about by the calamity and pandemic.
“DTI-Region 12 has collaborated with Shopee Philippines, to help the Region 12 MSMEs showcase their products thru a virtual trade fair in compliance to the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Director Jude Constantine S. Jaugan, regional director of DTI-Region 12.
Among the highlighted products are coffee, tuna chicharon, and fruit-based value-added products since Region 12 is the largest coffee producer, the tuna capital, and the fruit basket of Mindanao.
T’nalak-based wearable products and decorative items made of indigenous are also among the must-buy products being promoted by DTI-Region12.♦
Date of Release: 19 February 2021