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BEACHWEARS,
fashion accessories, headgears, shawls and souvenir items
highlighting Boholano craftsmanship grace Boracay booths during
the recent 2nd Visayas
Once-Town-One-Product (OTOP) Fair, May 23-27.
According
to Department of Trade and Industry Bohol sources, the local
delegation, comprised of Small and Medium Entreprises (SMEs)
displayed raffia loom-woven products, bamboo-crafted furniture,
coco-shell, fashion accessories, natural fiber summer and
casual headwear, beach sandals, native material inspired souvenir
and novelty items, furnishings, natural fibers and shawls
including food items and horticulture inputs.
The
Bohol group joined the fair to further promote locally-crafted
products now becoming international fashion trends.
Led
by a team from the DTI with Provincial Director Nanette Arbon,
exhibitors occupied two selling areas at the La Carmela de
Boracay Resort along with some 99 other exhibitors from Regions
6, 7 and 8.
Region
7 under DTI regional Director Asteria Caberte set up 35 exhibits,
Region 8 had 25 exhibits while host Region 6 had 39 exhibits,
a DTI press material stated.
Aside
from local government unit-backed exhibitors, Bohol also showcased
the Philippine Australian Community Assistance Program's Focused
Community Assistance Scheme (FOCAS) assisted groups from Catigbian,
Loboc, Maribojoc and other towns.
FOCAS
1-Assisted Groups displayed pandan bags, romblon mats, coco-shell
placemats and VCO.
Other
local crafts entrepreneurs include raffia bags from Inabanga's
3SHA Handicrafts; shell bags from Tubigon's Bohol Countryside
Souvenir Enterprises of; world renowned Antequera OTOP baskets
and the Bohol PROFOOD "food pasalubong".
The
2nd OTOP fair is organized to provide more exposure to locally
made products that have proven to be competitive in the international
markets, and is focused on selling products by the SMEs of
the three regions under the DTI OTOP Philippines program,
said Marisol Balistoy during a phone interview.
While
sales were not as brisk in the absence of institutional buyers
in Boracay, at least products- exposure-wise, it was worth
it, Balistoy said.
It
may be recalled that during the 1st Visayas OTOP Fair, two
Bohol exhibitors tipped the sales scales as top sellers with
Inabanga's raffia along with Tubigon's Countryside Souvenirs.
OTOP is one of the priority programs of President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs in the
countryside. (rachiu/PIA)
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