Twenty-three Negrense micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) joined the recent five-day Panublion Heritage Trade Fair organized by the Department of Trade and Industry in Western Visayas.
Rachel Nufable, director of the Department of Trade and Industry in Negros Occidental, said that the online trade fair promoted the products, mostly wearables and the homestyle sector, of the local MSMEs as there were many buyers from the region who joined the show.
Only a few from the food sector were able to join the virtual trade fair due to the requirements needed from the Food and Drug Administration, she added.
She said that the Negrense MSMEs generated P900,000 in sales from the fair, which run from November 14 to 18.
Overall, the MSMEs in the region made a profit of about P9 million, she said, adding that the generated sales were almost the same as last year.
Moreover, Nufable urged the MSMEs to establish online payment schemes to minimize physical contact with customers and to be adept in technology.
Meanwhile, during the Panublion trade fair, the DTI-Region 6 recognized the “SME of the Year,” who was able to sustain sales and continuously engage in product development, and “Heritage Awardees,” who were able to preserve their design, in Western Visayas.
For Negros Occidental, Jojo Vito’s Vito Prints and Pieces was named “SME of the Year,” while Ma. Lily Rosquillo was the “Heritage Awardee.”*