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By Jed Jaleco Del Rosario
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ILOILO City – The Philippine Exports Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) held an export-themed fashion show for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on Dec. 1 at the Casa Real, Bonifacio Drive, Iloilo City. It showcased the province’s best products that could play a role in the country’s export industry.
Among the products featured were woven products, soya products, processed food, bags, textiles, paintings, bamboo crafts and shoes. Additionally, some of the textiles, shoes and woven products were also used to create some of the dresses and attires for the fashion show.
Cherry D. Ganancial, executive director of an organization that supports local businesses and entrepreneurs, disclosed that her organization already exports locally made lamps to the United States and shawls to Australia.
“We have delivered and we have exported into Australia. Some of our lamps that we have, we also exported to the US,” Ganancial said.
She also added that they have also developed new products, such as high-end bags, which are targeted to Australian and US markets. She hopes that Philexport will offer additional exposure for their products and to support their efforts in helping MSMEs.
Meanwhile, Norwegian expat Bjorn Tomter, who exports natural food, talked about how the export industry in the country is doing.
“Our experience is also good,” Tomter said. “But to run a business as ours, it is also going up and down, because we are also exporting. We have been exporting to Europe, and Japan and also to US. But from last year, the coconut products that we are exporting … There are less sales, so we are now started on the focus on the domestic sales, both for the coconut products and also herbal teas. But we have been exporting to Norway ever since 2001, and that’s continuing.”
Philexport president Rush Fe Salditos emphasized their organization’s role as business support organization. She also challenged the private and public sector to help MSMEs create more exportable and internationally competitive products.
“It’s very important that this occasion – Fashion Show For A Cause for the MSMEs – will mark, or will remind us that Philexport is here, a business support organization that would like to contribute to the overall empowerment and strengthening of the micro, small and medium enterprises because 99 percent of our income depends on this sector. So I would like to challenge everyone to be part of our efforts,” she said./PN
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