Northern Mindanao’s signature trade fair for small and medium enterprises winds up this weekend at SM City Cagayan de Oro looking forward to global competitiveness with the integration of the ASEAN market next year.
An annual regional trade fair organize by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 10 (DTI), the “Kahimunan (Creations of Northern Mindanao) Regional Trade Fair” features the SME products of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental from processed food, gifts and housewares, fashion accessories, beverages, home style and living, and health and organic products.
Kahimunan is a native term meaning “gathering”. The Kahimunan is a marketing event to enable MSME’s to promote and access new markets for their products. The participants are the recipients of trade trainings and product development seminars prior to the exhibit.
Mayor Oscar Moreno and First Lady Arlene lead the ribbon cutting rites for Kahimunan 2014 Food & Lifestyle Fair at SM City Cagayan de Oro. Also in photo are CdO Tourism Council Chair Dottie Pabayo, City Council Tourism Council Chair Candy Darimbang, DOST RD Al Alamban and LEIPO Eileen San Juan. Lending their support are former Promote CdO Chair Ruben Vegafria, former Oro Chamber Pres. Ghaye Alegrio, DTI-X Business Dev. Chief Liza V.M. Alcantar, DOT's Yoyong Esmedalla, DTI Misor PD Eliza Pabillore and TESDA Misor PD Leo Velez. (photo by Mike Baños, NPN)
During its second outing in 2012, Kahimunan featured the Bamboo Cluster Showcase and “Speed Matching at a local restaurant with 101 SME participants. The activity established a market link between local suppliers and tourism establishments (hotels, restaurants, convenience, and pasalubong stores) wherein the raw material requirements of the tourism establishments’ kitchens such as vegetables, spices, fruits, processed meat and seafood were matched with local SME suppliers.
The exhibit generated P838, 025 sales over the week, a 15% over the previous year. The Speed Matching activity and booked sales generated an additional P127, 000 sales.
For the following year, Kahimunan shifted its focus to DTI’s Shared Service Facilities (SSF) focusing on Bamboo, Abaca, processed food, and coffee and coco coir products. SSF is a livelihood assistance program aimed at allowing Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) access to better technology and more sophisticated equipment to improve the salability, production and global competitiveness of their products.
Green Pastures Corp is DOST-X's Best SETUP Adopter and was the best selling booth in last year's Kahimunan 2013. (photo by Mike Baños, NPN)
“The SSF project is aimed at assisting some 81, 221 SMEs with a good growth potential,” said Ma. Eliza A. Pabillore, DTI Misamis Oriental Provincial Director, organizer of this year’s event. “It also aims to generate 200,000 new jobs all over the country.”
Although the number of exhibitors declined to 51 from 82 in the previous year and the exhibit duration cut to five days, Kahimunan 2013 nevertheless registered a 74% increase in total sales. Cash sales declined 28% but this was more than compensated for by the astounding 641% increase in booked sales.
For this year, 51 small and medium enterprises from the five provinces of Northern Mindanao are showcasing the region’s best products at the Kahimunan Northern Mindanao 2014 Food and Lifestyle Show which concludes this weekend at SM City, Cagayan de Oro City. Kahimunan 2014 is a core event of the Higalaay Kagay-an Festival 2014, the annual city fiesta festival of Cagayan de Oro City.
Featured products include gifts and housewares, fashion accessories, processed food, beverages, home style and living, health and organic products, and furniture.
The city's First Lady Arlene P. Moreno and daughter Imee Lapuz check out some of the merchandise. (photo by Mike Baños, NPN)
For the first time in its four year run, the show will recognize the Best Product Design for Housewares & Furnishings and Fashion Categories and the Most Innovative Food Product.
Best Product Design recognizes the exhibitors and manufacturers who develop innovative and distinctive designs that combine the ideals of form and function.
The criteria for selection include design, aesthetic and function appeal, market potential (40%), quality and workmanship (25%), innovation (25%) and materials/sustainability and value-added (10%).
CdO Tourism Council Chair Dottie Pabayo checks out the products in the Kahimunan 2014 Product Showcase as one of the judges for the Most Innovative Product. (photo by Mike Baños, NPN)
The criteria for selecting the Most Innovative Food Product include Product Innovation (50%), packaging (50%).
An maximum of 7 points will be awarded to exhibitors who would be able to comply with the following requirements: FDA License to operate, Organic Certification, Halal Certification, HACCP Certification, Export Potential, For Health and Wellness, and 100% use of local ingredients.
The Awards will include a 50% subsidy of the participation fee/booth rental for Kahimunan 2015, promotion through press releases, inclusion in the special setting for Kahimunan 2015.
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