Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Otop Visayas to hold 3rd trade fair in Cebu
THE Visayan leg of the One Town One Product (Otop) will hold its third annual fair at SM City Cebu this Nov. 12 to 16.
Entrepreneurs hailing from different corners of the Visayas will put their local goods up for sale.
Products for sale are souvenir items, novelty items, gift items, furniture and furnishings, natural fiber, processed food, footwear and fashion accessories such as bags, shawls and headgear.
The marketing event is focused on the Otop products of various municipalities in the Visayas highlighting the tourism and market potentials of Central Philippines, which attracts more than half of foreign tourists in the country.
Showcase
For businesses that lack a high level of marketing, an intra-regional exhibit like the Otop Visayas Island Fair is a good opportunity to showcase the best of the Visayan Islands.
Otop is one of the priority programs of President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs in the countryside.
Otop encourages the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to produce and market distinct products or services using indigenous raw materials and local skills of every municipality or city.
While the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is the project’s marketing arm, Otop is a “collaborative” effort of all sectors in the society, including local government units.
Lead
Executives of the local government units (LGUs) take the lead in identifying, developing and promoting a specific product or service which has a competitive advantage.
The DTI, through the Provincial Offices and the SME Development Group, assist the LGUs in identifying the specific product and coordinate other forms of assistance from other government agencies, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Interior and Local Government, Science and Technology, Tourism, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The package of assistance includes business counseling, skills and entrepreneurial training, marketing, and introduction of appropriate technologies. (PR)
