MANILA, Philippines — Market Week Philippines, considered the biggest domestic trade fair in the country organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) opened last Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at the Mega Trade Halls 1, 2, and 3 at the 5th Level Building B, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. The trade fair participated by more than 400 MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) is open to the public from 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. from September 19 to 23. Admission is free.

I attended the formal opening of the trade event to the public last September 19. A joyous and festive occasion it was. Senator Loren Legarda dressed in exquisite embroidered ecru dress was the Keynote Speaker at the Opening Ceremonies of Market Week Philippines. Prominently beside the lady Senator was DTI Undersecretary Merly Cruz for the DTI Regional Operations and Development Group (RODG), a chemical engineer by profession who has been the Regional Director for Region 11 for eighteen (18) years before she was appointed DTI Undersecretary for RODG - a sector of DTI composed of 16 regional directors and 81 provincial directors. The incumbent Regional Directors are: Myrna P. Pablo, CAR; Florante O. Leal, Region 1; Ma. Esperanza C. Bañares, Region 2; Blesila A. Lantayona, Region 3; Marilou Quinco-Toledo, Region 4-A (Calabarzon); Joel B. Valera, Region 4-B (MIMAROPA); Jocelyn LB. Blanco, Region 5; Dominic P. Abad, Region 6; Asteria C. Caberte, Region 7; Cynthia R. Nierras, Region 8; Nazrullah B. Manzur, Region 9; Linda O. Boniao, Region 10; Marizon S. Loreto, Region 11; Ibrahim K. Guiamadel; Region 12; Brielgo O. Pagaran, CARAGA; and Ferdinand L. Manfoste, NCR.

The RODG group of DTI is composed of the following bureaus/offices as follows: Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED); Bureau of Domestic Trade (BDT); Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines (PDDCP); Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC); Small Business Corporation (SB Corp.); DTI-Rural Micro-enterprise Promotion Program (DTI-RuMEPP); DTI-CARP National Program Office; and Regional/Provincial Offices.

In terms of the services extended to the public, RODG is a very visible group of DTI (even in the remote rural areas of our provinces) – to MSMEs, farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, and other sectors of communities in the municipalities/cities, in the provinces, in the regions and in the whole country. Simply because the RODG is the frontliner of the DTI. It is no exaggeration to say that entrepreneurs and others in the business sector are very familiar with the names of the DTI regional and provincial directors. How do I know? I have been an undersecretary of DTI for seven (7) years, 1998-2005 (5 years as undersecretary of the international sector group and 2 years as head of the ROG group). DILG Secretary Mar Roxas was our boss (he being the DTI Secretary then) at the ROG when I was the undersecretary of that sector. Sec Mar is a hands-on executive and he calls us all including the Regional Directors and Provincial Directors by first name. Even when we meet him outside the premises of DTI when he was no longer the DTI Secretary, Secretary Mar greets us on a first name basis.

Marievic Bonoan, Director-in-Charge of the Bureau of Domestic Trade (BDT), one of the Bureaus under the RODG says that the Market Week Philippines is “a celebration of the diversity of Philippine products.” In the trade fair, one can see the Filipino “bayong” made of water hyacinth as well as home/holiday decors, fashion accessories and health and wellness products. I am amazed at the wide variety of products ranging from fresh and processed food, to furnitures and fixtures. Fantastic creativity of our MSMEs.

The special setting of colorful products made of water hyacinth is impressive. There are two (2) life size colorful gowns made of water hyacinth designed by Cesar Pasco on display in the special setting. Way back in 2010, DTI-Calabarzon (Region IV-A), under the leadership of Regional Director Marilou (Malou to her friends) Quinco-Toledo conceptualized the Water Lily (water hyacinth) Development Project to make use of the perpetually-abounding water hyacinth in Laguna Lake and to transform the water hyacinth waste materials to income-generating products. Today, the Water Hyacinth Development Program that started in Calabarzon extends to nine (9) more other regions including Regions 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, CARAGA, CAR, and NCR. I saw Cesar Pasco, designer, lecturer, and trainor for the development of water hyacinth products commissioned by DTI-Region IV to assist the other regions with their training programs. His beaming face lightened up when I asked him about the potentials of water hyacinth. From 2010 to the first quarter of 2012, domestic sales of water hyacinth products generated Php21.12 Million. There have been 3,021 jobs generated too, for the same period. According to Susan Palo, Director of Laguna, a Training Institute on Water Hyacinth will soon be put up by Victoria Chingtoco Yu in Sta. Cruz in Laguna. Says Director Susan Palo, “DTI Laguna is all-out in extending assistance to entrepreneurs to promote water hyacinth products. We assist in the product development, marketing and also provide the machineries needed in the manufacture of water hyacinth products like the cylindrical machine (to shape the bags), hi-speed sewing machine and loom weaving machine.”

While I was buying some products in one booth, the head of the MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) Joel B. Valera and the directors of the provinces in the MIMAROPA Region (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) came to say hello to me. Many of the products of MSMEs from MIMAROPA on display are home decors, souvenir items, and indigenous wood carvings depicting tribal lifestyle. I asked Joel how he managed to have the provinces in his region come out with unique products, considering the limited funds of MIMAROPA DTI. Joel said that through the networking of DTI with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), he was able to get some funding which in turn were given to small entrepreneurs. Beautiful home décor products these small enterprises created with the funding Joel gave them. The small colorful utility/souvenir boxes made of corn husks were eye-catching.

Formerly known as the National OTOP Expo, the Market Week Philippines trade fair is truly a showcase of all the locally-made Filipino products in the whole country. Let’s visit the Market Week Philippines trade fair, which will be ending tomorrow, Sunday. Let’s patronize our very own Filipino products.

Have a joyful day!