DAVAO CITY—The Davao Region earned P4.719 million in the last-day tally of the recently held National Trade Fair (NTF) in Metro Manila, making the region the second-best performer among regional exhibitors.

The national total sales reached only P32.031 million from all 14 regional exhibitors of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

Of the region’s aggregate sales, Davao City got the biggest share with P2.193 million, which was 46 percent of the region’s sales.

Davao Oriental was in second slot with P1.76 million, which was 37.49 percent of the regional share.

Davao Oriental’s coconut baskets were a surprising crowd drawer after a US company offered a supply arrangement worth P1.34 million. The province accepted the offer.

The coconut baskets were included in the government’s One Town, One Product campaign.

DTI Assistant Regional Director Marizon Loreto ascribed the region’s performance to the previous government assistance that prepared the participating SMEs in the national trade fair.

“These SMEs actually received a full-cycle package of assistance from DTI. They underwent seminars and trainings, such as product development and advisory course, which included the development of the participants’ negotiation skills,” Loreto said.

Regional participants to the event were (Davao City) Crystal Seas and Handcrafted Products, Porky Best Products and Kanegie Food; (Davao Oriental) RV Berato Pebble and Concrete Products and Mandaya Dabaw Dagmay and Weaving; (Davao del Sur) RER Lumad Designs, SR Mango Processors Cooperative, Elisha’s Food Products,and AG Pacific Nutriceutical Corporation; (Compostela Valley King Real Laundry Manufacturing and Cocolife Cooperative; (Davao del Norte) Silagan Handicrafts and Lucille’s Food Products.

This year’s NTF focused on the theme, “The Best of the Islands.”

The NTF was spearheaded by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, an attached agency of the DTI. The other DTI bureaus that helped were the Regional Operations Group, Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines, and Bureau of SME Development.

A BILL mandating the establishment of a provident personal-savings plan for the country’s retirees has been approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives.

THE Delegation of the European Commission (EC) in the Philippines will allocate a total of €6.5 million to assist the Philippine exports industry in improving access to the European Union’s (EU) largest single market that has a total of €10.9-trillion combined gross domestic product (GDP).

DAVAO CITY—The Davao Region earned P4.719 million in the last-day tally of the recently held National Trade Fair (NTF) in Metro Manila, making the region the second-best performer among regional exhibitors.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is setting aside P90 million to boost the production, consumption and commercial use of root crops like sweet potatoes and cassava.

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) has decided to forgo construction of a P10-million tilapia fillet processing plant in Cagayan de Oro.

SUPPORTING the phasing out of coal-fired power plants, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed his support to the “Quit Coal!” campaign of Greenpeace Southeast Asia to reduce global warming caused by greenhouse-gas emissions.