Favila pushes for design-driven SMEs

Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila highlighted the importance of good design to push the growth of the DTI’s revenue streams, especially consumer products like processed food and beverages, fashion, including home style and living.

“The innate creativity of the Filipinos can be an economic asset to differentiate RP products and services and elevate their value in the global market,” said Favila. To complement good design, the DTI also works on assisting the SMEs in quality production, and competitive pricing.

To encourage Philippine SMEs to adopt good design, the DTI will open the National Trade Fair 2007 on March 14-18 at the Megatrade Halls 1-3 of SM Megamall.

In collaboration with the Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines (PDDCP), 1,363 new designs will be introduced during the show using local skills and abundant homegrown materials. The designs are a product of close coordination of the PDDCP designers with the SMEs from conceptualization to prototyping.

Since 2005, the new designs which are a product of careful planning served as an opportunity for the SME to be noticed by local, as well as foreign buyers, making it a start of subcontracting or distributorship agreement with institutional buyers, consolidators, and exporters. “Through the NTF, the DTI purposely manage and exploit the knowledge and passion of individuals to create extraordinary value and wealth,” added Favila.

In NTF’s 200 exhibitors, many SMEs are bringing the crafts of skilled weavers and indigenous artisans that are a representation of timeless traditions that appeals to present-day lifestyle. Some of are the works that will be highlighted during the fair are from T’boli women of South Cotabato, Mangyan Hanunoo, Mangyan Iraya and Mangyana Alangan of Mindoro, Palaw’anon and Tagbanua of Palawan, Higaonon of Bukidnon, Maguindanao Women of Maguindanao, weavers of Negros Oriental, and Bolinao weavers of Pangasinan.

In addition, the growing Philippine trend for health and beauty care has propelled the DTI to work with the ASEAN Japan Centre to bring in Mr. Nishida Wakaba, President of Ayus, Inc., who will conduct a seminar on packaging design for the Japanese market during the show.

The DTI is also enthusiastic that when local products featured in trade fairs like the NTF reach a broader scale, they also have the potential to collectively become a viable export industry.

The NTF last year generated 82.44 million pesos in sales and welcomed 20,000 trade buyers and visitors.
The Philippine SMEs account for 99.6% of the total number of establishments in the country, 60% of all exporters, and 70% of the labor force.