Antiqueño bizmin to Boracay for OTOP Island Fair 2007
San Jose, Antique -- Antique's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is set to join Visayas One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) Fair in Boracay Aklan on May 23-27, 2007 at Carmela Resort together with the participants in Region 6, 7 and 8, said Jocelyn Perez, Senior Trade and Industry Specialist of Department of Trade and Industry Antique.
Antique Muscovado Cooperative leads the group bringing Antique's OTOP banner product muscovado sugar with four other small entrepreneurs and cooperatives. These are Dela Fuente Bakeshop selling quality breads and pastries like "Otap" that can compete with top selling brands in the region and Diday Sweet delicacies with specialty on coconut candies commonly known as "bandi" and other sugar based products.
Agrarian Reform Communities through the Multi-Purpose Cooperatives in the towns of San Remigio and Laua-an will also join the fair to showcase the high value crops and processed vegetables of their areas, said Engr. Arlene Galopo of DTI.
Display booth will be provided for the participating SMEs/province. DTI stressed that this year's fair is a selling fair with emphasis on promoting OTOP as a brand.
Among the activities during the fair in Boracay area are night market which will be opened at 7PM to 11PM every night at the pool side area of Carmela Resort. Opening program will be on May 23 at 6PM and exhibits will be opened at 2-11PM to synchronize the buying behavior time prevailing in the island.
Visayas OTOP fair will also have special events to feature food and crafts from each region. Each Region shall be assigned a night to highlight respective OTOP to include free tasting of food products. One night during the 5-day fair, a local band will be invited to provide music depicting popular song s and festival rhythm of the Visayas Regions.
Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has earlier directed all government agencies and instrumentalities to simplify rules and regulations, reduce reportorial requirements and eliminate fees and charges on export clearance, permits and other documentation requirements to cut red tape and to facilitate ease in doing business and encourage more investments in the country.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also encouraged the local banking sector to increase the SME loans in their loan portfolios.
(PIA)