19 November 2020 via Facebook Live

Ladies and gentlemen, naimbag a bigat kanyayo amin! (Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat!)

With today’s opening of the 1st IMPAKABSAT Virtual Trade Fair, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) welcomes everyone in celebrating the creativity and resiliency of the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR). The word “IMPAKABSAT” stands for the region’s six provinces, namely, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, and the city of Baguio. Completed with the Ilocano word kabsat, which means brother or sister, IMPAKABSAT is the perfect showcase of the Cordilleran camaraderie and culture.

Habang ang 25th silver anniversary po ng trade fair na ito ay nagmamarka sa transition patungo sa isang online platform para masiguro ang kaligtasan ng lahat sa gitna ng COVID-19, ito po ay naayon lamang sapagkat ang okasyon na ito po ay kumakatawan sa resiliency at adaptability ng mga taga-Cordillera.

IMPAKABSAT was first conceptualized a year after the 1990 “Killer Earthquake” that left the City of Baguio and other provinces in the region in shambles. Back then, the event served as a platform and opportunity for our kakailyans to recover and restart again after the calamity. Since then, the event has evolved from a simple trade fair to a celebration and exposition of upland culture, as well featuring the tourism and investment potential of the region. More importantly, IMPAKABSAT has turned into a hallmark of the indigenous manufacturing industry.

With the tagline, “Only the Best from the Cordilleras,” the trade fair presents premium items from 80 exhibitors from the region. From ethnic novelty items to gifts, house wares, food items, hand-woven products, bamboo crafts, furniture, and collectible antiques, the trade show gives perfect examples of the Cordillera scenery, tradition, and culture. What’s more, the region is abundant with ingenious and innovative products that are distinct only in this part of the country.

IMPAKABSAT also highlights DTI’s continued assistance to the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region. Through the various programs of DTI, we aim to develop and strengthen our MSMEs and provide them platform to market their products. For example, our One Town, One Product (OTOP) Next Generation program aims to promote and link our MSMEs to domestic and foreign markets through trade events and retail marketing. As of today, DTI-CAR has supported a total of 1,571 MSMEs from the region with 533 products improved through development trainings.

That is why it is essential for DTI to continue assisting our local SMEs by mounting these trade fairs. Events like IMPAKABSAT provide the region with a bigger platform and market venues where our local SMEs can proudly present their goods. Our SMEs can then access broader markets through these events to visibly compete with other products, both locally and globally.

As we adapt to the “New Normal” of COVID-19, the IMPAKABSAT trade fair has evolved once again in the face of adversity by making the expo available and accessible online. This online trade expo, which will run from November 19-26, will enable exhibitors and buyers to visit and set

up booths without going to a physical location. More importantly, this new online platform will give our MSMEs even greater access to international markets as well.

Finally, we encourage everyone to support our currently running “BUY LOCAL, GO LOKAL!” nationwide campaign that promotes locally-made and proudly Filipino products as part of our campaign to restore consumer confidence. As we go back to work and begin to spend once more, especially this Christmas season, businesses will be encouraged to produce more as well. This, in turn, will start off a virtuous cycle that will fuel our slowly-reopening economy.

As the year comes to a close, let us share our love and kindness to our kababayans by buying the best from the region. And instead of just adapting to the “New Normal,” let us all work in creating a “Better Normal” by supporting our MSMEs. Together, let us build back better towards a more inclusive and hopeful post-pandemic future as envisioned by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Agyamanak unay. (Thank you) Naragsak a paskua kadakayo amin. (Merry Christmas to all of you!)♦

Date of Release: 23 November 2020