THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Northern Mindanao is all set to promote over a hundred micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from Western, Northern, Southern, and Central Mindanao and Caraga in the 3rd Mindanao Island Fair Exhibit dubbed this year as Kahimunan Mindanao 2008.
Kahimunan Mindanao, which means creations of Mindanao, is a four-day event from August 22 to 25, 2008 at The Atrium of the Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.
Timed during the Kagay-an Festival month, the fair will showcase innovative products made from indigenous materials and created with Filipino ingenuity. It also targets to generate more than P20-million in sales from the region-wide products.
Products for sale include fresh and processed food, gifts, toys and house wares, fashion accessories, as well as organic and natural products manufactured in Mindanao.
As part of the preparation for this exhibit, DTI conducted trainings/seminars on How to participate in Trade Fairs, Visual Merchandising, Packaging and Product Development and Design.
Various activities will also be conducted during the fair including the buyer-seller matching, regional day presentations and technical sessions on financing, and other programs designed by the government for the MSMEs.
Institutional buyers from all over the country are expected to visit Kahimunan Mindanao.
DTI regional director Alicia Euseña said she is hopeful that the fair will attract a lot of domestic and international buyers that will benefit the exhibitors.
Kahimunan Mindanao is an offshoot of Yamang Mindanao, the first major trade exhibit held in General Santos City in 2006 to showcase products of MSMEs, particularly promoting the crafts and food products of the One Town One Product (Otop) program of the municipalities in Mindanao.
Kahimunan Mindanao 2008 is conducted in partnership with the Promote CDO Foundation, Inc. (Promote CDO), Advocate of Philippine Fair Trade Inc. and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc.-10A (Philexport-10A). (Press release)
