About five (5) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from Region 02 recently joined the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines held on May 19-21, 2017 at the World Trade Center, Manila.

The event was organized by the Center for International Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture – Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS). The event provided a venue for local and international food companies to take on new markets, launch products, and conduct business with the world’s biggest buyers

The show featured four exhibition halls: (1) Food Philippines Hall was the premier venue for top and emerging Philippine food export companies; (2) International Hall showcased the top food products and ingredients of leading companies and manufacturers across the globe; (3) Food Artisans Village featured the artisanal delicacies from the different regions of the Philippines presented by the DA-AMAS composed of different pavilions: processed fruits and nuts, cacao, coffee, coconut, and fruits and vegetables and (4) The Marketplace, a one-stop retail shop of premium food and food related products ranging from fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood products, processed food, snacks, and homemade regional delicacies.

About Php 118,450.00 total sales were generated by the five (5) participating MSMEs from the region. Among these MSMEs were Alcala Women RIC MPC of Cagayan, JBM Food Products of Isabela, Mid-East Sweets of Nueva Vizcaya, Batanes Garlic Cooperative of Batanes, and Mataga-ay Coffee Growers and Producers Cooperative of Quirino.

Among the buyers were TIANA (US), E-Nature (Mexico), Purefoods General Trading (Dubai), Cool and Link Marketing (Singapore), AK KAMAL (Brunei) and ECOE Plantation International (Hong Kong).

Various machines and technologies were also introduced like the coffee roaster, sugar cane juicer, packaging machines and egg separator, among others. Several activities were simultaneously conducted such as the food export and investment seminars and G-MART (Grocers Exchange Program), an exclusive business-to-business matching platform that connect retail giants with Philippine manufacturers and distributors.