Furniture exporter boosts presence in Asia

CEBU, Philippines - Furniture exporter Metamorfose  Philippines, Inc., is now intensifying its presence in the Asian market noting a sharp demand specifically from Hong Kong and Japan.

Metamorfose Philippines Inc., president Heins Chrispijn said that although majority of the company's production right now goes to the active domestic market, export opportunities however have shifted to the Asian region.

In fact, Chrispijn said his company is doing bulk order for a company that will brand their creation as "Sunweave" and "Everything Under the Sun," which will be distributed in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia.

Metamorfose is also putting more focus on improving its online presence, also to pre-introduce the brand to countries in the ASEAN region.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show woodcrafts and furniture recorded as the country’s fourth top export. It registered a revenue valued at $210.85 million or 4.8 percent share to the country’s total exports as of April this year. It contracted by 23.9 percent from $277.15 million in same period of 2014.

Although, the furniture making industry in general is now being fed by the domestic market,  Chrispijn expressed high hopes that the exporting business will soon recover, aided by the promising Asian countries.

Meanwhile, furniture exporters in Cebu are crossing their fingers for this year while the it is projecting starting this year, the revival of more demand from the global will be seen.

"The economic indicators are showing up," said Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc., (CFIF) president Robert A. Booth.

According to Booth, if the United States economic recovery will continue to go in the positive side, such as the easing of credit for property loans, it means the end of the difficult season.

Booth said exporters who are serious in the furniture business, understood the cycle of the market, and those who are wise enough to wait for the rebound are luckier.

This is for the reason that despite the unprofitable, difficult, and money draining years of market "drought", serious players never gave up on the business, although most have streamlined their operations over the last few years. — Ehda M. Dagooc (FREEMAN)