Cebu showcases the best in furniture pieces

MANILA, Philippines - It is no wonder that Brad Pitt has ordered some of his furniture pieces from Cebu-based furniture maker Kenneth Cobonpue. The Hollywood superstar has ordered his bed, chair and other pieces from Cobonpue.

Yet Cobonpue’s designs are just among a giant universe of excellently crafted furniture pieces from the Queen of the South and these designs were showcased last week at the 2010 Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition which is now known as CEBUNEXT, a reincarnation of CEBU X.

The exhibition was organized by the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF), a non-profit organization committed to promoting the local furniture industry to the international and local markets.

Held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino in Lahug, Cebu last March 5 to 8, CEBUNEXT brought together buyers, designers, suppliers and manufacturers from various parts of the world.

No. Brad Pitt was not there but buyers from France, Italy, US and various parts of Asia came to the exhibition.

Elegantly crafted home furnishings including beds, furniture, bookshelves, lamps, mirrors, wall clocks and other decorative pieces were on display.

In a press conference, CFIF president Angela Figueroa-Paulin said CEBU-NEXT offered everyone the opportunity to see why the world’s best high-end furniture brands such as Dedon, B&B Italia, Bernhardt & Baker are convinced to produce their prestigious pieces in Cebu.

The pieces shown are testaments to Filipino craftsmanship which is combined with cutting-edge furniture technology to produce pieces in a broad spectrum of styles. The designs ranged from traditional to contemporary to practical to ingenious and everything else in between.

CFIF’s Figueroa-Paulin said the exhibition was aimed at helping the Cebu furniture industry recover after being hit by the financial turmoil last year.

“Last year was really bad. We hope that through this, we will be on track toward recovery,” she said.

Figueroa-Paulin was referring to the impact of the global financial turmoil which was badly felt by the Philippines, particularly the exports industry.

The furniture industry was not spared.

The Philippines exports $300 million worth of middle to high-end furniture and over 60 percent of these exports come from Cebu.

Figueroa-Paulin said that to help put the Cebu furniture industry back on track, manufacturers are tapping other markets so that they do not rely heavily on the United States which is still reeling from the effects of the global financial turmoil.

She also said that furniture manufacturers continue to come up with new, creative designs to be able to attract more buyers in the traditional and new markets.

The designs during the exhibition are made not only for residential homes but also for top-caliber hotels, luxury spa, trendy bars or even malls.

Clayton Tugonon, president of classicalgeometry, one of the exhibitors, said during the event that he makes it a point that his pieces are both stylish and functional.

“It’s all about form and function,” he noted.

Indeed, in Cebu, the skills and abilities of master craftsmen are complemented by the latest material innovations and technological breakthroughs to produce furniture pieces that are exceptional in design.

For his part, Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr. said CEBUNEXT also served as a significant opportunity for the Philippines to also attract tourists from various parts of the country.

“They come here for this and they see what the Philippines can offer. It’s a good opportunity to promote tourism,” he said.

The different nationalities seen during the event only showed that with CEBUNEXT, the Philippines is indeed hitting two birds with one stone – showcasing the best furniture pieces and promoting tourism in Cebu and in the whole Philippines.

For sure, the pieces at the exhibit and various other pieces from Cebu will soon be roaming the world. And it’s not just in the homes of Hollywood superstars like Brad Pitt.