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Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Furniture handbook to bring Cebu abroad
Pulbishers of the Cebu Furniture Handbook hopes the 4,000 copies will bring Cebu to the world.
“These will answer the information need of furniture importers, who are interested but don’t have any idea about Cebu’s furniture industry,” said handbook editor Sabine Schacknat of the Center for International Migration, Germany.
Schacknat works for the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) as a consultant for marketing and product development.
“After years of promoting the furniture industry, CFIF realized that there’s a change in the market. There are now some furniture retailers who, instead of buying from the wholesalers like they did before, now start importing directly. They travel and go on international shows and import themselves,” she said.
She told Sun.Star Cebu that most of the new importers, though, have apprehensions about the Philippines.
“They don’t know exactly how the business works here. They have a lot of questions. That’s why we thought it might be nice to come up with a printed material that is comprehensive, to give people more of an overview of the furniture industry here,” she said.
Quick facts
The handbook, which was printed in November last year, includes quick facts on Cebu and highlights the furniture industry’s information and advantages, import procedure, export promotion organizations and profile of member companies.
She said it’s given free to overseas Philippine commercial attaches, international partners like the Association of Industrial
Designers-Germany, Philippine business support groups, interested buyers and potential importers in international furniture shows.
“It’s for them to understand what is Cebu, what’s the industry here, what do they have to know in the Philippines, particularly in importing,” she said.
The handbook was funded by Asia-Invest, an Asia-wide program that supports trade and investment relations between the European and Asian economic operators.
“Our first big event where we brought and distributed our handbook was in Macef, a home furniture and accessories show in Milan,” she said.
CFIF’s participation in the show last month in Milan was a big success because not all exhibitors pass the “rigid” requirements in joining the show, she said.
“We took the chance to make a very special showcase abroad not only to get the attention of buyers, but also to showcase what the Philippines can do,” she said. (ALC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 14, 2006 issue)
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