PH set to take part in more int’l fashion, furniture fairs

The Philippines will make an aggressive pitch for its local food, furniture, furnishings and fashion industries in the global arena, as it targets to participate in more trade fairs this year.

In an interview, Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr. said the Center for International Trade Expositions and Mission (Citem), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, had committed to participate in more trade fairs in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Asia to showcase Philippine craftsmanship.

“Building on the momentum generated by our ‘designPhilippines’ and ‘foodPhilippines’ trade show brands, 2014 plans include the country’s participation at global venues such as the Foodex show in Tokyo, Gulfood in Dubai, Sial in Paris, the Hotel Show in Dubai, Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Fashion Access in Hong Kong, among others,” Manalo said.

Citem will also hold its signature event Manila Fame in March and October this year.

“Manila Fame is an anchor event for sourcing design-forward, high quality, Philippine-made products. It is the premiere platform for Philippine design and craftsmanship. Also included in 2014 is a special section highlighting design-driven home and fashion products from international exhibitors,” Manalo said.

The DTI plans to take advantage of the country’s “positive investment climate” as it moves to make the Philippines the design hub of Asia.

In October last year, Citem launched “Dexign Global Philippines,” a business platform that brought to the country for the first time renowned design personalities in the home and fashion industry.

At that time, 12 celebrity designers from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Korea and Japan were in the Philippines to participate in Manila Fame, reportedly the leading lifestyle and design exposition in Southeast Asia.

“We wanted to bring the world to Manila Fame. What we’ve been doing over the past 30 years is that Manila Fame is all about 100-percent Filipino craftsmanship. The onset of Asean Economic Community in 2015 is giving us some realities on the ground that we cannot just keep within ourselves, within our own sphere of influence. We have to embrace the whole Asean because by 2015, we are talking about 600 million customers that we should be targeting,” Citem executive director Rosvi C. Gaetos earlier said.

“[We will continue] to position the country through Manila Fame as the top-of-mind sourcing destination as well as the region’s creative hub,” Gaetos had said.