DTI hands over ‘Sandugo trade

Expo to private sector partners

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 22, (PIA) –Like a good parent to a weaning child, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Bohol has slowly released its hold and responsibility of running the province’s premier crafts fair and local products showcase, to its private sector partners, ably transcending from a lowly fair to be the poster face of the Sandugo.

The lowly crafts fair which started in 1989, jumped from one location to another until it finally finds a permanent annual home in the Island City Mall, said John Jerome Gabin, DTI Bohol Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) Division Chief, speaking for the office head, during the opening ceremonies.

The fair, which has been an annual showcase local craftsmanship of the island’s rich heritage and cultural diversity, has been assisted by the DTI and its product development consultants, to make sure their products have a market future and this system became a channel of creativity and local entrepreneurship.

The trade expo at the ICM, features a wide range of products including delicacies, wearables, furniture and housewares, and other souvenir and pasalubong items specially crafted by exhibitors from various parts of the country.

For a better quality of life and welfare of the Boholanos, sums up Gabin, who added that this year is another opportunity for Bohol to embark on a transformative journey to a bright future, in a celebration of talents, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

A few years ago, the owners of the same private mall intentionally purchased a gigantic tent called the Block, to initially house the local products’ showcase at the Island City Mall car park.

From its proven track record in sales for exhibitors, the lowly provincial fair has attracted so much hype that regional and national exhibitors are flying in to join this year’s Sandugo Trade Expo 2023.

This year, with the management of the Sandugo Trade Expo now in the hands of Island City mall, 142 exhibitors from 25 provinces across the country, now in 120 booths have started selling their products since July 19, 2023, according to Provincial Administrator and then Sandugo trade fair founder Aster Caberte.

Trade Expo guest speaker Gil Zaire Carungay hailed the expo organizers for bringing in a bigger and better representation of the Philippine archipelago to Bohol, giving special interest in the processed food sector exhibitors for showcasing the designs and the delightful tastes of the cradle of creativity and culinary ingenuity which highlight the deep connection between handmade crafts and the natural environment.

And while the DTI, which initiated the trade fair to allow its assisted MSMEs venue to showcase their products, it has to step up to a new level, by forging partnerships and equipping the private sector to set up, manage and run a trade expo.

DTI’s goal, at least within the next three years is to capacitate and empower local third party providers to fully organize, manage and operate the Sandugo Trade Expo, the biggest and the largest trade show in the region, shared DTI Bohol Officer In Charge Vierna Teresa Ligan.

For this move, Caberte, who conceived the provincial crafts fair in her stint as then DTI Bohol Provincial Director, called the move as a new business model, as she profusely thanked the ICM management for agreeing to DTI’s suggestion to implement the new strategy.

Now on the 15th year of the Sandugo Trade Expo, with over 120 exhibitors form Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, we are happy to tell the public that we have close to 20 first time exhibitors, Ligan, who could not attend the expo opening for an official event in Manila, added that after 4 years of hiatus, the Sandugo Trade Expo is back with DTI forging an even stronger partnership with the private sector.

Starting this year, the DTI’s role in now focused on coordination activities as market promotion, which includes invitation of buyers and guests and in monitoring or current and after fair sales.

Before the three year interruption caused by the pandemic, Boholanos have tracked the increase in over-all recorded sales of the Sandugo trade fair, the last before the pandemic soared to record heights of P41 million in booked and regular sales.

In fact, DTI trade and promotions division head Rey Anthony Regis said they noticed that some exhibitors seal sales in orders, months and even years after the fair. (PIA-7/Bohol)

EMPOWERING PARTNERS. After proving that local private sector partners can now stand to run and operate a trade fair, like a good parent, the DTI turns over the management of the Sandugo Trade Expo to Island City Mall management while the office continues to do market promotions, and monitor current and after fair sales. (PIABohol)

BUY LOCAL. The DTI and the ICM now brings back the 2023 Sandugo Trade Expo after years of hiatus, and this year’s fair promises some new stuffs from almost 20 first time exhibitors from 25 provinces, bringing in their best crafts to Bohol. (PIABohol)