Siquijor joins fair in Boracay

By Katrina Ariannelyn Abing and Rizalie A. Calibo

Siquijor – One Town One Province (OTOP) is one of the priority programs of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to promote tourism, encourage entrepreneurship and create jobs in the archipelago and somehow to heighten the progress of the nation’s economy.

Siquijor province, through The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) was one of the exhibitors among the Visayas region. It was a four-day event themed as the 2nd Visayas OTOP Fair 2007, held at La Carmela Beach Resort in Boracay.

Four towns in the province joined the project bringing their respective OTOP: woodcraft items of the Pajermo Furniture for Larena, tourism and peanut products courtesy of Renie’s Peanut Processing for Siquijor, coco food product and processing of Licoan Rural Improvement Club for Maria and dairy products of the Kapanig Multi-Purpose for San Juan town. The exhibit includes the best of souvenir items, furnishings, novelty items, beach wears, natural fiber, and fashion accessories such as bags, shawls, headgears and footwear and food items.

Started last year, the 1st OTOP fair held at Cebu City, focused on the selling of products produced by the SMEs of the three regions (6, 7, and under the DTI OTOP Philippines program and has also showcased the promotion of the local products and the best of its own locality.

The four-day fair grossed and generated sales amounting to Php 3.77 million from regions 6, 7 and 8,” DTI Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio reported.

As reported, the Philippine economy grew by 6.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2007, the fastest pace in almost two decades, while the GNP grew by 6.6 per cent, a Malacanang official said.

The economy’s robust performance is a result of the government’s determined reforms to hike revenues, manage expenditures effectively, contain the deficit, and low inflation. The easing pressure on interest rates, the record levels of overseas remittances, and robust export earnings have all resulted in improvements in the country’s outlook. This has further attracted foreign portfolio and direct investments, boosting the peso’s strength and the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

These economic gains further strengthens our nation’s collective resolve to achieve a First World status in the next two decades through pro-growth, pro-poor and pro-modern policies that could further propel impressive advances.

Government, the official said, will continue providing a more favorable environment for agribusiness, fuel further vitality in industry, and encourage entrepreneurship and micro and SME development.

Virtucio is thankful that Siquijor OTOPs get the support of the Provincial Government who shouldered the expense for the registration fees of the exhibitors through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (SMED). The Local government units (LGUs) took care of their transportation, food and accommodation, ” she said. Four personnel from the local DTI also joined the delegates. They were accompanied by the Siquijor Municipal Mayor Richard C. Quezon who is “very vocal in his support towards the participation of the province in the fair,” she added.

The island of Boracay was chosen as the venue for the event because most of the souvenir shops are there and also to take into consideration the potential of the tourism genre.

Photo Credits : http://www.mysiquijor.com/gallery/

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