TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led the Sandugo One-Town-One Product (OTOP) Trade Fair this year, which generated P19.7 million in cash, booked, and under-negotiation sales this year.
According to DTI Bohol provincial director Vierna Teresa Chiu-Ligan, overall cash sales registered a 58 percent increase from P9.2 million last year to P14.5 million this year.
However, booked and under-negotiation sales dipped by an average of 48 percent.
The annual regional product showcase featured the most innovative products from the regions displayed by 140 exhibitors, which include 52 displaying processed food, 52 for the non-food, and 11 from the furniture industry.
The trade fair is DTI’s way of extending further its support to the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), and not just by providing them with technical assistance from materials, technologies to product design, and then to marketing.
“This assures our MSMEs of the continued support by handholding them until they become truly sufficient and sustain in the domestic and international markets,” Ligan said.
With 18 food, 18 non-food, and 8 furniture exhibitors, Bohol raked in a total of P1.04 million in cash sales from food and P14,200 for booked sales for a total of P1.061 million.
Cebu registered with 8 food exhibitors, earning P691,000 in cash sales and P225,000 in booked sales for P917 million in total food sales.
Negros Oriental fielded 7 food exhibitors, which had P521,000 in cash and P8,000 in booked sales, for a total sale of P530,000.
Siquijor sent a food exhibitor, which tallied P26,000 in sales.
For non-food exhibitors, the region earned P6.9 million in total sales, broken down as follows: P4.9 million in cash and P1.9 million in booked sales.
The non-food exhibitors are composed of Bohol’s 28 manufacturers and organizations, 14 from Cebu, 1 from Negros Oriental, and 2 from Siquijor.
For food and non-food items, Central Visayas had P7.25 million in cash, P3.9 million in booked sales, and P1.2 million in negotiated sales for a total of P10.1 million.
Other regions closed the trade fair with P7.3 million in cash sales, P1.6 million in booked sales, and P809 million in under negotiation. (RAHC/PIA Bohol)
