SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) at the city-run one-stop shop, Pasalubong Center, registered a total of P1.293 million in sales from January to March 15, this year.
The Pasalubong Center, which opened in December 2011, also earned a total of P5.385 million last year.
Cumulatively, the SMEs revenue reached to a record high of P500,000 in three days during the Kadayawan Festival last year, which was remarkably the center's busiest period.
But Maribeth Lumactod, officer-in-charge of the Pasalubong Center, said they recorded a low foot traffic for this quarter, thus the lower revenue.
Lumactod said they recorded a total of 8,822 visitors during the first quarter, although she could not determine if there has been an increase in the number as compared to the same period last year as they only started the monitoring in the second quarter of 2012.
The influx of visitors at the one-stop shop only spiked during the 76th Araw ng Dabaw celebration, recording a total of 3,246 out of the total visitors.
"The influx was not so good," she said, adding they are expecting the number of visitors to spike this summer since more domestic tourists will come to visit the city in the coming days.
The tenants, meanwhile, will also come up with summer festival to attract more visitors.
At present, the Pasalubong Center has a total of 32 tenants; all are exempted from rental fees, pending amendments on the Davao City Revenue Code of 2005.
Lumactod added that five new applications of SMEs are waiting for approval from the center's steering committee before their products can be up for display at the one-stop shop.
"They go through a process and that they must have FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) clearances before the approval of their applications," she said.
The Pasalubong Center will also undergo renovation to draw more traffic and, at the same time, cater more tenants. This time, it will be the second floor of the 443-square-meter center that will be up for renovation next week.
Sellers of furniture sets and a conference room will be housed at the second floor of the center. Another development that will take place at the one-stop shop is a pathway that will connect the center to the People's Park.
At the back of the one-stop is where the planned promenade will be put in place.
"The visitors of People's Park will have easier access to Pasalubong Center. They can go directly if they are inside the park," she added.