The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is banking on the five-day “Bagsakan Fair 2022: Panublion sa Western Visayas” to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region recover from the impact of the health pandemic.

“This is a response of DTI during the pandemic. We are doing this to continuously assist our clients sell their products in a venue wherein at the same time can be market testing whether our products, may hatak sa buyers (attract the buyers),” said DTI Regional Director Rebecca Rascon in her message during the opening held at the Robinsons Place on Wednesday afternoon, March 2

DTI believes holding the trade fair remains an effective means of marketing strategy and product promotion, Rascon added.

This is the first “Bagsakan” (the place where goods are delivered) held outside of Luzon and is organized with the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP).

Some 79 MSMEs composed of 19 from Aklan, 18 each from Iloilo and Negros Occidental, 14 from Antique, six from Guimaras, and four from Capiz will be displaying their products until March 6.

The regional director said that 40 MSMEs display food items and 39 are into non-food items.

“We are looking around us, products that are results of various assistance provided by different agencies but most of all the results of the commitments of our MSMEs to continuously improve their products. They may have the same material but they are executed differently because creativity, craftsmanship are displayed in the products that are produced by our MSMEs,” Rascon added.

Undersecretary Bles Lantayona of the DTI Regional Operations Group, in her message done virtually, said that Panublion (heritage) has already evolved to become a “byword of quality craftsmanship and innovation”.

“Since 2020, DTI through the BDTP has intensified the conduct of Bagsakan to help MSMEs and OTOPreneurs, including the farmer-producers bounce back from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. BDTP has come to institutionalize the Bagsakan and since then this marketing event has helped kept the MSMEs afloat,” she added.

BDTP director Marievic Bonoan, in her virtual message, said that they have added a buying mission to the trade fair where three big retailer and one exporter firms based in Manila are joining the event.

“They are interested in new products and long term suppliers from DTI Region 6,” she said.Perla Lena/PNA