DTI-6 eyes up to P15-M sales in ‘Panubli-on’ trade fair

By John Noel E. Herrera

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-6 is eyeing to generate up to P15 million in sales from the 2022 Panubli-on trade fair which was officially launched on Wednesday, Nov 16, 2022 at SM City Iloilo.

“If it is cash and book orders, from P10 million sales last year to P12 million, but including the orders under nego (negotiations), P13 million to P15 million for this year,” DTI-6 officer-in-charge regional director Ermilinda P. Pollentes said in the event.

The five-day activity with the theme “Advancing Innovation” showcases different market opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to create in-demand productions and more innovative and creative ways of promoting local products.

DTI-6 also said that the number of exhibitors for this year’s Panubli-on, which will run from Nov 16 to 20, increased to 181 from 121 participating MSMEs last year.

“The MSMEs will be able to showcase their products and receive feedback from our buyers. We will have a selling mission that will arrive from Manila and also, we will have some of the MSMEs and our partner agencies being here and so they will be able to network even with the government agencies and other MSMEs so that they can develop new products,” Pollentes also said.

Aside from the trade fair, a fashion show was also conducted highlighting the different native products from Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

There will also be a forum with MSMEs, Packaging Seminar, Export Webinar, and Cacao and Food Tasting that will be held today. An awarding ceremony for the MSME of the Year, Heritage and Products Awards will also be conducted on Nov 20.

Meanwhile, Pollentes said that there were some MSMEs that were affected by typhoon Paeng, and the agency helped them by linking them to different financing institutions, while there was also limited damage to some shared service facilities in the region.

“There are selected MSMEs affected, but we are also doing our best to help them link with financing institutions, corporations, and other government financing institutions, and we are also trying to help them identify raw materials sources kung medyo nabahaan or wala didto available sa ila respective localities,” Pollentes said.

This is the 19th year of DTI’s ‘Panubli-on’ trade fair since it was first conducted in 2003, and it has already evolved “to become a byword of quality, craftsmanship and innovation.”