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Friday, March 29, 2024

DTI, SM launch Christmas bazaars

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The Department of Trade and Industry launched the SM Christmas Market at SM Megamall on Nov. 17 to provide micro, small and medium enterprises a venue to showcase and sell their products throughout the holiday season.

DTI, SM launch Christmas bazaars

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez emphasized the importance of MSMEs in revitalizing the economy amid the pandemic and the fast recovery of the small businesses.

“The importance of our MSMEs cannot be understated, they account for more than 99 percent of the total number of establishments in the country as well as 62.4 percent of total employment. Because of this, they serve as our country’s economic backbone, even when they were also the most affected by the economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lopez said. 

Under the banner of “Buy Local, Go Lokal” nationwide advocacy campaign, the bazaar will support local MSMEs to help businesses hurdle economic challenges. Nominated by the DTI provincial offices, the participating MSMEs were allowed to sell their goods free from mall charges throughout the duration of the bazaar which will run until the first week of January 2021 in all 74 SM Supermalls nationwide. 

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The “Buy Local, Go Lokal” is the DTI’s nationwide campaign that aims to increase engage both the public and private sectors to support local businesses and entrepreneurs by buying local products and services. The campaign also supports domestic travel while encouraging consumers to patronize everything local. Othel V. Campos

Retail partners from Go Lokal! were also tapped to participate in the Christmas campaign at SM malls.

Participating MSMEs brought home-grown products ranging from hand-painted and hand-crafted home accessories to cosmetics and skincare essentials.

“We call on all Filipinos to patronize local products and services and support our MSMEs not only at the SM Christmas Market but throughout the country. As we reopen the economy, let us create a ‘better normal’ this Christmas season by rebuilding our country one purchase at a time,” Lopez said.

Meanwhile, another Christmas bazaar fair was launched in Butuan City carrying locally-made products by MSMEs including artisanal products from Agusan del Norte.  

Dubbed as Produkto Ipasigarbo sa Tabuan sa Agusan-Butuan or PISTA, the initiative by DTI Agusan del Norte is the new normal version of conducting trade fairs, according to DTI Regional Director Edwin Banquerigo. 

PISTA is a combination of virtual and physical bazaar, a concept that is expected to provide a hybrid marketing outlet for local MSMEs in the region.

The virtual launching which took place at DTI Agusan del Norte regional office parking grounds provided online presence for all MSME sellers.

“This event is not just conceptualized in our head, this activity was done as a result when the mind and our hearts would work together. This Bazaar is all about helping people,” Banquerigo said.

The trade fair was designed to provide more marketing outlets to the local producers and help them generate sales while being mindful to meet quarantine protocols and to meet new normal requirements, he said.

Organizers encouraged the public to help local producers, revitalize the local economy by buying from the fair. Banquerigo underscored how MSMEs showed their resiliency, tenacity and strong entrepreneurial spirit during the worldwide health crisis. 

Eighty-one registered MSMEs across Butuan City and Agusan del Norte brought with them 115 products indigenous to the region.

PISTA is set to run until Dec. 15 with GoFetch Express as its official delivery partner. 

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