ANOTHER successful run of the 2nd Indonesia Food and Beverage Expo (IFBE II) recently concluded at the Activity Center of Abreeza Mall Davao from 29 June to 1 July 2018.
The opening ceremony on June 29 displayed musical and cultural performances from young dancers of the Marfori Studio who skillfully performed five Indonesian dances from different regions.
A one-on-one business matching between Indonesia exhibitors and potential partners was also held in the Ballroom of Marco Polo Hotel the day before the expo.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Davao under the leadership of Consul General Berlian Napitupulu has been highly active in efforts to improve Indonesia–Philippines economic relations.
In his speech, he thanked the support of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte who graced the ribbon cutting ceremony along with Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) Datu Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto.
“This event is an outcome-oriented Trade Expo and is a part of our comprehensive effort in promoting bilateral economic and trade relations through direct trade,” he announced. “Other efforts are business mission, cooking demos, tourism trips and cultural performances.”
According to him, last year the Consulate has conducted twelve promotional activities including four trade expos and eight mixed joint cultural-trade expos with local governments of Davao, GenSan, Glan and Zamboanga.
This includes participation in the Araw ng Davao and Kadayawan festivities by joining the parade and setting up Indonesian booths.
There were also four business missions from Mindanao to Indonesia promoting the Philippines.
This year they have participated in Araw ng Tagum, Araw ng Dabaw, Mahin Festival in Glan, and the Philippine Bird Festival in Tacurong, with four more coming expos.
This Expo showcased Indonesia’s food and beverage export quality products, with support from the Local Government of Davao City, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Davao, City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) and Department of Tourism (DOT)-Davao.
“In order to strengthen our bilateral trade as well as support our ASEAN Intra-trade, we bring 21 companies from the food and beverage industry, fifteen of them came directly from Indonesia as far as Bali, Java and Sumatra as well as representatives from Manila and Davao. Many of them are top producers,” he said. “Some of the products are coffee, tea, chocolate, wafer, biscuits, food supplements, energy drinks, noodles, brown and palm sugar, spicy chips and VCO. During the 3-day expo, Indonesian cuisine is served in the food corner, with tourism presentations, cultural performances, spicy food eating contests and prizes for Q&A.”
According to him, the outcome of these successful promotional activities has recorded a significant increase in business transactions of food, beverage and building materials. Several Indonesian products are already available in Davao like the Fruit Tea, Teh Botol, Le Minerale, and Innaco Coco Drink. Semen Indonesia, a top Indonesian building materials and cement manufacturing company, is said to arrive in Davao as well.
The VIP guests were toured around the expo booths accompanied by Consul General Berlian and wife Elizabeth Napitupulu.
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(Jojie Alcantara is a columnist, photographer, traveler and workshop speaker proudly writing for SunStar Davao for more than two decades. Email to jojiealcantara@gmail.com or visit kodakerdabawenya.com.)