More exhibitors, higher sales at 2015 Sandugo Trade Expo

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines – This year’s 10th annual Sandugo Trade Expo attracted more exhibitors than last year’s staging, and garnered record sales of at least P10 million, over a period of five days, from July 22 to 27.

Around 100 exhibitors from Cebu, Bohol, and Mindanao participated in the Sandugo Trade Expo that showcased locally made products, such as food items, fashion products, wall decors, house decors, jewelry, guitars and wellness products and handicrafts made from indigenous materials.

Regional Director Aster Caberte of the Department of Trade and Industry-7, said products added this year were locally made furniture and loom-weaved products from Tubigon, Clarin and Inabanga towns.

In her message during the opening ceremonies, DTI Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya noted that the Sandugo Trade Expo had expanded with the participation of entrepreneurs from Mindanao, making the event bigger to cause problem in space at the venue.

Maglaya also noted the presence of Department of Tourism-7 Regional Director Rowena Montecillo, who showed that the Trade Expo was also a tourism event, considering that it also drew tourists as a result.

As such, Maglaya reminded stakeholders that malls, and shopping centers should also be taken care of and made sure that the products being exhibited are the best in the country. The retail market has been a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide and it has been growing by 12 percent in the past few years, she said.

Entrepreneurs have to take advantage of the Sandugo Trade Expo, which a lot of people look forward to every year in Bohol, Maglaya said, adding that it also enabled small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs to have more exposure of their products to buyers.