At least 115 small and medium enterprises in Eastern Visayas will display their products in this year’s Bahandi Trade Fair, which attracted old and new exhibitors.
The Department of Trade and Industry will spearhead the annual trade fair on October 5 to 9 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City.
“This is a follow-up Bahandi this year to sustain marketing efforts. This is an opportunity for old exhibitors to meet their regular buyers again. The fair will help new participants establish ties with institutional buyers,” said DTI-Eastern Visayas director Cynthia Nierras.
Products up for display in the five-day fair include woven mats, bamboo products, lechon (roasted pig), processed seafood, fruit and root crop chips, sticky rice, moron, and binagol.
The trade department targets P13 million in sales during the event.
“It also serves as a training ground for micro, small and medium entrepreneurs to experience negotiating and dealing with buyers, adjust their cost and pricing to suit their chosen market, and determine the factors that affect their profit as they interact with buyers,” Nierras explained.
The DTI field offices are still finalizing the list of participants, but according to Nierras, nearly half of them are first-timers.
“In last year’s Bahandi, we have shown that small businesses managed to recover after Super Typhoon “Yolanda.” The challenge now is to bring in new designs and products,” she added.
In 2015, the trade fair had 88 exhibitors and generated P24 million in sales.
This year’s Bahandi, which is the local term for treasure, is anchored on the theme “Promoting Pride… Inspiring Innovation… Celebrating Change.”
The event is being organized by the DTI in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development, the BAHANDI Producers Association of Eastern Visayas Inc., the Regional Development Council and the Department of Tourism regional office.