MAASIN CITY (PIA) — The Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) has opened the first Padajon Christmas Bazaar in collaboration with national and local government agencies.The bazaar features stalls displaying home-made products for sale at the lobby of the Maasin City gymnasium which will be open from December 15 to 29.
The bazaar will also offer trainings opportunities on entrepreneurial mind setting, business continuity planning, labor laws orientation, business opportunities in jackfruit production, and business opportunities in cacao and tableya production, among others.
Its launching on December 15 was attended by Pedro Bimbo Tan, chief of staff at the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), first district Rep. Luz Mercado, SLCCI President Gloria Markines Reyes, and City Vice Mayor Maloney Samaco on behalf of Mayor Nacional Mercado.
The initiative, which is fully supported by the private sector, was a big help to small-time business owners, for despite the many challenges they encountered such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Super Typhoon Odette in 2021, there is still hope and so much reason to continue, said SLCCI President Reyes, the owner of Southern Leyte Times weekly newspaper.
The word “padajon,” in fact, is a contraption of the Cebuano term “padayon,” but both meant the same thing, which is to continue, to push through, to persevere against all odds, in business undertakings as applied in this situation.
“Maajo na lamang makita ug mailhan ang among produkto sa mas daghang pumapalit” (This is a good occasion for our product to be showcased and be noticed for wider customer reach), said Alice Ampao, one proprietor of an emerging micro, small, and medium enterprise when asked why she joined
At the press conference in Villa Romana following the opening ceremony, Panny Sy, past SLCCI president and proprietor of a successful bakery business, Panny’s Home-made products, pointed out that one of the “Padajon” goals is exposure, to bridge the supply chain, from those with raw materials to established outlets.
More young entrepreneurs are joining the business community, and this needs constant mentoring, Sy said, whose bakery started in Maasin City in humble beginnings three decades ago, but now has grown with 10 branches all over the Eastern Visayas region.
As a duly accredited business organization of the province and city, SLCCI “adopts a proactive stance in pushing the economic well-being of its members and the community towards a robust local economy,” Sy said. (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)
