Bahandi Food and Fashion Fair in Tacloban City made about P1.735 million in sales, almost close to the exhibit’s sales last year of P1.952 million and exceeding this year’s expected sales of P1.5 million.
THIS year’s comeback of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Bahandi Food and Fashion Fair in Tacloban City has become a “moderate success” amid the pandemic, as exhibitors earned over a million pesos in revenue during its three-day run last week.
Some 41 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar provinces have joined the first face-to-face annual regional trade fair held since the pandemic broke out last year.
The trade fair, held at Robinsons Place Tacloban, made about P1.735 million in sales, almost close to the exhibit’s sales last year of P1.952 million and exceeding this year’s expected sales of P1.5 million.
The three-day exhibit which closed on Sunday ran under the banner Gawang Otso Trade Fair.
Bahandi food and fashion fair
Bahandi food and fashion fair
Ex-rebels, now entrepreneurs
An association of rebel-returnees called Carigara Peace and Development Workers Association also took part and sold their products, including liquid dishwashing soaps, pili products, and bukorillo.
They had joined the exhibit for the first time.
DTI Region 8 said that it was paving the way for ELCAC beneficiaries to promote their products, improve on them, and increase their capacity to do business as means of livelihood and support a sustainable change in their lives.
ELCAC stands for End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
According to Kath, one of the members of the association, “Hinihikayat pa namin yung iba na bumaba na dahil totoo ang tulong ng gobyerno.”
The agency hopes that in the succeeding exhibits this year, more local entrepreneurs aided by the DTI’s various programs would take part in the fair, especially those who opened their business during the pandemic.
The DTI will hold the Bahandi trade fair every month until December, giving all government-assisted MSMEs the chance to showcase their products inside a mall.
Bahandi, the local term for wealth, is a regular trade fair organized by the DTI in malls based in the National Capital Region and Tacloban City.
The last face-to-face Bahandi trade fair was held in 2019 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
(With report from PNA)
Tags: #OpinYon8, #TaclobanCity, #tradefairs, #BahandiFoodandFashionFair