Saturday, November 24, 2007 DTI eyes Otop for exports
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is strongly considering possible linkages with industry groups in Cebu’s export sector to bring the intra-regional exhibit Visayas Otop (One Town, One Product) into the global market.
DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte said there is a strong possibility for Otop products in the region to hit big in the world export market.
“Because of certain limitations, these small and medium businesses cannot immediately tap the export market. That’s why we need the help of our exporters,” she said in an interview during yesterday’s opening of the Cebu Otop Fair and the Pasigarbo sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo 2007 at the SM City Cebu Trade Hall.
Caberte said the decision to venture into exporting came after Cebu-GTH (Gifts, Toys and House ware) Manufacturers and Exporters Association Inc. president Jenifer Cruz brought Otop products, like placemats, baskets and other home furnishing items, to the Innovation Fair in Minnesota, United States (US) last Sept. 23 to 25.
Inquiries
The three-day exhibit was conducted by a major toy retailer in the US and gathered 1,000 exhibitors composed of the company’s suppliers worldwide, including Cruz’s export venture 33 Point 3 Export Inc.
“There have been a number of inquiries from the designs and innovative samples that were submitted, including Otop items, but they have not placed an order yet. It takes another six months until we get a feedback,” Cruz said.
33 Point 3 Export Inc. is currently supplying the toy company 20,000 to 100,000 pieces for every placemat design, as well as 4,000 to 20,000 pieces per variety of its baskets.
“There’s a potential for us to grow. This fair (Otop) is a good opportunity to train and develop entrepreneurship of people in the countryside,” Cruz said.
He said with the softening of the US export market, Filipino exporters are now looking at other sources of innovative and export-ready products with the intention of raising production.
Small and medium enterprises involved in the Otop have the capacity to penetrate the highly competitive export industry because of their innovative designs, he said.
Skills training
Relative to this development, Caberte said DTI is now spearheading skills training for specific product items, like baskets, that have a strong buyer-demand abroad.
“The training should be responsive to specific orders only,” she said.
Cruz said skills training for 5,000 weavers from Siquijor province, Talisay City and Carcar in Cebu, as well as Luay, Baclayon, Sevilla, Bato-an and Loboc towns in Bohol, have already started.
Maribelle Cruz, marketing manager for 33 Point 3 Export Inc., said foreign buyers are looking out for products that are “natural, organic, ecological and sustainable.”
The annual Cebu Otop Fair 2007 gathered over 100 exhibitors from the three regions in the Visayas (Central, Eastern and Western Visayas). The fair opened yesterday and will close tomorrow.
Caberte said this year’s Otop featured a stronger integration between the industry and the academe with the participation of local universities where students were given the opportunity to submit their business plans and display new and innovative product designs.
Caberte also discussed long-term plans for the Otop program, such as partnering with private firms like malls, airports and retail outlets for a permanent Otop exhibit center.
The Otop is a priority project of President Arroyo’s administration to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs. The program’s implementation is to be led by local government units with DTI as marketing arm.
Through Otop, local chief executives of each city and municipality take the lead in identifying, developing and promoting a specific product or service in their respective areas. (MMM)
