EMPOWER the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of the furniture industry so they can move up the value chain and expand their market presence and reinforce the country’s reputation as the “Milan of Asia” in the furniture industry.
This is the rationale behind the recently concluded 2014 SikatPinoy held at the Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa city.
“The Philippines is known as the ‘Milan of Asia’ and we are considered as one of the world’s best in terms of design and craftsmanship. We must continue producing excellent designs and world-class products to retain our lofty position in the global market,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Bureau of Domestic Trade Director Rhodora Leaño said. Leaño said that organizing domestic trade fairs can give opportunities to SMEs promote their products. “Through the SikatPinoy National Furniture and Furnishings Fair, the DTI is bringing together all the best products from the regions to Metro Manila so they can reach a bigger domestic market. In this way, the SikatPinoy fair serves as a stepping stone for small and medium enterprises to gain exposure and become more competitive, and, thus, prepare them to enter the global market,” she said in an interview with the BusinessMirror.
As a DTI unit, Leaño said the BDT aligns its activities in accordance with the Philippine Development Plan crafted by the government’s economic managers. She said the bureau is very pleased with the support it is getting from the government for its programs. “In fact, from only two SikatPinoy fairs in 2013, we are holding a total of five SikatPinoy fairs this year—for food, fashion, art, furniture and furnishings, and an omnibus fair in December.”
Leaño stressed that the government needs to enhance the skills of SMEs as competition in the global trading arena continues to intensify, especially in the low-end mass production market.
With countries, such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Myanmar providing cheaper labor, the Philippine furniture industry needs to shift to medium and high-end product lines. “We should focus more on quality, design and material rather than price as our competitive edge,” she said.
The DTI-Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development has an SME Roving Academy that is a continuous learning program for the development of micro, small and medium enterprises to become competitive in the domestic and international global markets.