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Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Food expo opens amid threats, facility glitch
By Carlo P. Mallo
DAVAO CITY -- Terror threats and a damaged air conditioning unit won't stop organizers from pushing through with Wednesday's opening of the Food Processing and Packaging Technology Expo 2007 (FPP).
Organizers considered the terror threat, with local authorities ready to deal with it, less of a problem than the air conditioning, which costs P500,000 to repair and get running.
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Despite all the odds, FPP president Joel Pascual is confident that in the end, the activity would be worth all the risk.
In an interview Monday, Pascual said none of the over a hundred exhibitors expressed any wish to back out because of the recent bombing incidents in neighboring provinces.
Apart from an overwhelming support from exhibitors, Pascual expects the number of visitors this year to increase tenfold.
Unlike other food expos, FPP exhibitors do not only hand out brochures but are encouraged to bring in actual equipment and technology to the exhibit.
Sales declared by exhibitors in last year's expo surpassed P100 million, and Pascual is hoping that this year's sales would top even that.
"We are bringing in the latest technology in food processing and packaging here in Mindanao, as it is one of the biggest markets in the country," Pascual said.
By bringing the suppliers to where the market is, the market in Mindanao does not have to go to Manila or abroad anymore to purchase the necessary equipment to upgrade facilities.
Gavin Go, one of the exhibitors in the four-day FPP Expo 2007, said as one of the prime supplier of bakery facilities, he hopes to bring in the latest technology of Taiwan to the region.
"Although I already have some clients from Mindanao, there is still a need for me to be here in order to expand," Go added.
Wilfred Teves of the Food Processors of Davao said the FPP Expo 2007 is a welcome event in the city as it would allow small and medium scale players in the food and beverage industry to be informed of the latest in technology.
Angel Puentespina, president of the Davao Tourism Association, believes events like the FPP Expo 2007 would erase the negative publicity wrought on Davao City by the unstable security situation in neighboring provinces.
FPP Expo 2007 is slated to open Wednesday and will run until June 23 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas building. More than a hundred participants will be showcasing the latest and most innovative technology in food processing and packaging. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (June 20, 2007 issue)
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