IPA Trade Center transfers to new site

The famous Ilonggo Producers Association (IPA) Trade Center located at the ground floor of the DTI-6 Building, J.M. Basa /Peralta Streets, Iloilo City will be transferring to a bigger, better and ideally located site, said IPA Trade Center Manager Jessie Genoveza. The new location is a 300 square meter commercial space occupying the ground and mezzanine floors of the Llacer Building (formerly “Biggys Grocery) along General Luna Street, Iloilo City. Renamed as the new “IPA Pavilion” it is envisioned to be a major business center and tourist destination of Iloilo. Soft opening of the Center will be on 26 August 2005.

The decision to transfer to a new site is considered to be one of the major breakthroughs of the Center which has stayed at the DTI building for almost 13 years. “We are thankful to DTI especially to Regional Director Dominic P. Abad and Iloilo Provincial Director Diosdado P. Cadena Jr. for all the support they gave us. Amidst the economic uncertainties, now is the time that the 55 member producers of the Association from Panay and Guimaras Islands, 13 of whom are into exports, will really have to stand up and compete in the business arena”, said IPA President Valerie Maravilla. “With the knowledge, skills and support we have acquired from various sectors we believed we can do it. This is a bigger challenge that we have to face. Our competitive advantage lies in the innovativeness and craftsmanship of our producers whose objectives are to produce quality products at reasonable price”, she added.

Maravilla said that the new IPA Pavilion will expand its business services to include: a showroom to showcase products from gifts, toys, and housewares, bags and baskets, furniture and furnishings, shell crafts, bamboo crafts, novelty items, hand-woven products like piña, abaca and raffia cloths and barongs, famous Iloilo delicacies and processed foods, among others; marketing of these goods both retail and wholesale basis at producers price; internet marketing; a ticketron- the first in Iloilo; a business center to cater services such as fax, email, internet etc…; a specialty coffee shop; and a trade show event organizer.

Maravilla said that IPA hopes to expand its membership to more than a 100. As a member you can join trade fairs conducted regularly by the association both local and national, join different trainings to help you in your business, avail of technology transfer such as product development and prototyping, and a lot more. IPA is inviting interested producers to join and be promoted in the new IPA Pavilion. For more information please contact Jessie Genoveza at tel nos. 3370823 and 3362360. (Ruby M. Melliza)