16th Sandugo OTOP Trade Fair

140 exhibitors bring in rich

Creative crafts to Sandugo

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 17 (PIA)—One hundred and forty exhibitors, each contributing to the rich tapestry of creativity, craftsmanship and design, 63 of them from the Central Visayas while the rest from the neighboring regions bring in the best of their crafts and innovations for the 16th One Town One Product (OTOP) Trade Fair, now at the Island City Mall.

Exhibitors including 34 from Bohol, 20 from Cebu, 6 from Negros Oriental, 3 from Siquijor is also joined by 11 exhibitors from Region 8, 20 from the Caraga Region, four for Region 4-A, another 4 from Region 4B, 2 exhibitors from Region 3, 1 from Region 1, another1 from the national Capital Region, 1 from Region 9, 4 from Region 10 and 4 from Region 11, have brought in their best gifts items, home decors, house wares, furniture, furnishings, fashion accessories, wellness products and processed food.

Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) originally as a provincial products fair in the 1990s, the Sandugo Trade Fair has been the government’s marketing support to the micro, small and medium enterprises in support to the tourism industry, the growing retail travel market, the promising exports market and the local and still international need for hip home accents, housewares, furniture, wearables and the processed food industry

And in the OTOP Trade fair that runs from July 17 to 22, 17 of the local exhibitors are bringing in their newly developed after they joined the Design Center of the Philippines workshops, DTI Bohol Provincial Director Vierna Teresa Ligan said.

Over the years, the commitment to provide a comprehensive marketplace for exporters, converters, processors and the local makers has been our help to connect the local industries to buyers and assure their sustainable livelihood, she added.

Possibly one of the country’s longest fairs, the Bohol Trade fair has characterized itself as a showcase of the best of the regions, and has continued to attract guests, domestic and international buyers since it was elevated to the status of a regional fair since 2006.

With the support of the Provincial Government, City Government of Tagbilaran and the Alturas Group of Companies, this year’s Sandugo OTOP Trade Fair intends to top if not equal last year’s P18.8 million in booked and actual sales, the DTI said.

Back after some three years of hiatus with the pandemic also wreaking havoc in the industry’s highly fluid sales, this year’s trade fair also gathers local artisans, entrepreneurs and visionaries including the Provincial Government’s Bohol Artisan Project beneficiaries to put a touch of the rich Boholano culture into the Sandugo event. (PIABohol)

CONNECTING PLATFORM. Over the 16 years of Sandugo Trade Fairs, the event has consistently become a platform that connects the manufacturers and craftsmen to entrepreneurs, consumers and international buyers, assuring sustainable livelihood for the micro and small entrepreneurs and their brood of artisans. Here, former DTI Regional Director Aster Caberte earns a Trade Fair bag from DTI Bohol PD Vierna Ligan and APD Jerome Gabin, during the opening of the exhibits. (PIABohol)

16 YEARS OF INDIGENOUS CRAFTS. The colors, designs and the technologies behind may have changed but the same indigenous materials used in these creations have shown the rich environment for creativity in the region. (PIABohol)