Manila Now goes green right now

MANILA, Philippines –  Encouraged by the country’s positive growth rate and renewed confidence rating of the administration of President Noynoy Aquino, foreign and local trade buyers and connoisseurs of excellent design are expected to throng to Manila for the upcoming Philippine International Furniture Show (PIFS)-Manila Now slated from March 3 to 6 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

For more than two decades, Manila Now has been at the vanguard of showcasing and introducing local design to the world market.

“The first few years when we held the event were very good times,” says Joy Cancio, president, Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP), the local body spearheading the event.

According to Cancio, furniture exports were very strong then and the local industry, fueled by the demand in the United States and Europe, expanded to unprecedented heights. Everything changed when China, with its wealth of labor and resources, entered the global furniture industry.

One effect of the challenges that continue to beset the industry is its lackluster export performance that’s due in great part to the global recession.

 “The export market has been dead for the last three years,” says Eduardo Zuluaga, chairman, PIFS-Manila Now 2011, noting that the previous shows had to contend with low foreign buyer turnout and the latter’s diminished budgets.

Despite these challenges, Manila Now 2010 proved to be one of the biggest in the event’s history.  In fact, 141 furniture and design-related companies participated, while visitors from more than 20 countries visited the various booths during the four-day event.  The US, Hong Kong and Japan continued to lead with the number of foreign visitors, along with Australia, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.  All in all, a total of 705 foreign visitors came to visit last year.

The number of foreign trade buyers also registered a 2.55 percent increase from the previous year (2009).  Likewise, the volume of business generated from the event remained stable, with purchases above the P480 million volume registering a healthy 5.37 percent increase from the previous year’s 3.64 percent.  Local buyers are also up, registering an increase of 11.26 percent (for both trade and consumers) from 2009.

PIFS-Manila Now has decided to re-focus its approach and has since come up with ways to seek opportunities in an industry that still has a lot to contribute in terms of fresh design ideas and resources. 

“A case in point for further strengthening support for the local industry is Vietnam,” says Cancio, whose local furniture and design industry even “managed to grow for the past few years” when those of other countries stagnated.

“Our advantage is that our local market is strong,” says Zuluaga, adding that what the industry needs right now is the volume that local furniture sales can contribute. He cites the country’s numerous hotels and resorts that could be prospective customers if these establishments choose to add or renovate hotel rooms in response to tourism-related demand. 

PIFS-Manila Now 2011 will also include events that are not exactly exhibitor-oriented.

“There are groups that have a symbiotic relationship with the furniture industry,” notes Zuluaga, adding that the Philippine Institute of Interior Design will also hold an exhibit that will feature local furnishings and decorative accents in especially designed settings. A separate hotel show is also included, featuring furnishings and accents that are specifically geared toward the hospitality industry.

What ultimately sets PIFS-Manila Now 2011 apart from its previous shows and the rest of the furniture shows in the Asian design circuit, is its decision to go “green,” the first one among the major regional design shows to do so.

“People are becoming more conscious of the environment,” says Milo Naval, vice president for design, CFIP.

People will be surprised, Naval adds, that going green in the furniture industry is something not entirely alien and at odds with how Filipinos create furnishings.

“We have been practicing the discipline for a long time,” he says, noting that we have long incorporated sustainable materials like raffia, abaca, bamboo, and lately even managed plantation timber in our furniture.

PIFS-Manila Now will also introduce non-toxic varnish and paints for the edification of the public and local manufacturers. 

At present, PIFS-Manila Now 2011 is anticipating a larger turnout than last year.  The event has been attracting furniture makers from Cebu, Pampanga, Manila, Cavite, Davao, Iloilo, and Baguio City, among others.

 “We foresee growth in the Middle East, Russia and Brazil,” says Cancio, noting that the World Cup and the Olympics might prove instrumental in increasing demand for hotel furnishings.