Region 12 entrepreneurs earn millions from GenSan business fair

GENERAL SANTOS CITY --- The extensive trade fair here last week by entrepreneurs engaged in indigenous crafts generated P22 million worth sales and transaction deals.Ibrahim Guiamadel, DTI-12 regional director, said Wednesday that the 69 booths that displayed indigenous products, preserved food and fruit juices, brassware, wearable goods and home decors during the event earned P1.8 million cash sales.The November 13 to 19 trade show, dubbed 4thTreasures of Region 12, was organized by the regional office of DTI in Koronadal City.It involved 89 micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs) based in central Mindanao, which covers the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani, and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.Guiamadel said some participating entrepreneurs also sealed P13.8 million trading deals with buyers who visited the trade fair, held at the SM City Mall in General Santos City.Guimadel said the trade fair also connected participating entrepreneurs to domestic and foreign traders, now negotiating P6.3 million worth of deals.The fair, initiated by the DTI-12 to ensure the connectivity of local entrepreneurs to traders in domestic and foreign trading hubs,was also meant to enhance the global competitiveness of regional MSMEs benefiting from the agency's support interventions.This year’s week-long trade fair, an annual engagement of entrepreneurs in central Mindanao, was DTI-12’s fourth since 2014. Guiamadel said the participating MSME stakeholders displayed good products during the fair, all of export quality.The week-long business engagement also resulted in the hiring of 38 people by employers via a complementing job placement activity held alongside the trade fair.