The Department of Trade and Industry Region IV-A once again enthralled the local market through the “KALAKAL CALABARZON 2017: A Regional Trade Fair” last October 12-18, 2017, at the Festival Supermall, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. As of October 18, a total of Php 36.5 million cash, booked, and under negotiation sales were generated during the 7-day fair.
“KALAKAL CALABARZON is one of our programs to live up to our commitment to assist and prepare the local MSMEs to access, maintain, and survive the demands and challenges of new and bigger markets here and abroad and to encourage our entrepreneurs in producing high-quality, innovative, and competitive products,” said DTI CALABARZON Director Marilou Q. Toledo.
Buyers, guests, and visitors were welcomed with newly developed and innovative products for the food, home, fashion, and lifestyle sector, drawing remarkable interest from its local buying companies. The special setting, “Best Products of CALABARZON,” highlighted the finest products manufactured from the region such as hanging and table lamps, wall décor, women’s gown, bags, wallets, jewelry cases, fashion accessories like necklaces and earrings, women’s shoes and sandals, candles, organizers, storages, bags, notebooks and stationeries made from organic materials, vases, herbal soaps, coffees, teas, cakes and pastries, wines, baked noodles, organic mushrooms with tinapa, Spanish sardines, etc. These products were chosen carefully by the representatives from the Association of Region IV-A Designers, Inc.
“Regional trade fairs like KALAKAL are very important because these make MSMEs to come out and to boast their products to the market. Because of mentoring, many MSMEs have found courage and strength to offer their products to a wider and bigger market. They have stood up from every failure. As the mentors are the MSME themselves, they know the learning. Big and small entrepreneurs have setbacks, but they stood up again. I am very proud and happy for our CALABARZON MSMEs,” said DTI Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Zenaida Reyes.
The KALAKAL CALABARZON 2017 aims to strengthen the linkages among the various players in the regional economic development by providing a wider and bigger venue of promotion of all its products and services and to create stronger linkages not only to government stakeholders but also to the private sector.
The trade fair was organized in cooperation with DTI IV-A’s Provincial Offices (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), beneficiaries from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), and the One Town, One Product Next Generation Program (OTOP NEXT GEN), which is being led by the DTI-ROG Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga. More than a hundred micro and small entrepreneurs joined the fair.
On the fair’s closing ceremony, several awards were given to exhibitors. Four D Foliage Lampshade Design of Batangas won the Most Innovative Product for Non-food Category. Cocoplus Aquarian Development Corporation of Laguna got the Most Innovative Product for the Food Category. Souq Salamanca Artisan Arts and Crafts of Batangas grabbed the Best Dressed Booth Award. RCMA Citronella Enterprises of Cavite was recognized as Top Seller.
“This is my first time to participate in a trade fair because I only started my business last January 2017. Through DTI’s free seminars and workshops, I am able to improve my products and to learn more about the aspects of entrepreneurship. So now, here I am attending my first ever trade fair and having my first ever under negotiation sales in millions,” said Efren Ayo, owner of Esayo Soap Manufacturing in Batangas and was also one of the top sellers during the fair.♦