The tubigon loomweavers marketing officer shows the high-end fabrics produced by the Tubigon Loomweavers Cooperative. These kinds of products are highlighted at tthe ongoing expo. (CDN FILE)
Bohol’s export quality products, which are displayed in this year’s Sandugo Trade Expo, is a message to the world that Bohol is “back in business.”
Asteria Caberte, Department of Trade and Industry regional director, gave this observation after products like newly woven fabric made from rafia were highlighted in the trade expo.
The expo, which started last Wednesday and will end on Sunday (July 27), has a theme “Gearing for Asean 2015.”
Caberte said the DTI partnered with international designer Francis Dravigni as their consultant in coming up with the new fabric now on display at the expo.
“He told me to give him eight months to a year, and all these fabrics will be in the shops of international signature brands. He is very confident of the quality of the fabrics,” Caberte said.
The fabrics were woven by the Loom Weavers Cooperative in the Tubigon Loom Weaving Center which was also relaunched by President Benigno Aquino III in May this year.
With this development and new demand for the fabric, Caberte said they are considering doubling the capacity and training more weavers to produce these specific fabric.
“Right now we have about 150 weavers, and 50 of them are weaving the fabric which Dravigni wants to market abroad. We want to double that number because he told me, the current production will not be enough once he starts marketing them,” said Caberte.
Caberte also said that they also got P2 million assistance from United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido) to help rehabilitate the center and add more space for production.
The facility, which is part of DTI’s Shared Services Facility program, has 150 square meters of space.
Caberte said with the Unido assistance, they can add space for 50 more weavers in the center.
“Bohol is known to have the best weavers in the country, and there are many products also being developed now that use woven materials. All that will be highlighted in the trade show,” she said.
The Sandugo Trade Expo is an annual show organized by DTI.
Other products featured are locally made products ranging from furnishings and fixtures to wearables, novelty items and fashion accessories, as well as fresh and processed food from small and medium enterprises in Central Visayas and other neighboring provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Caberte said there is also a workshop and seminar on Green Economic Development that will be conducted by the German Agency GIZ Promotion of Green Economic Development (ProGED) today.
“We expect another successful expo this year in sales and orders and hopefully get the message across that Bohol is already past recovery and is ready for the global market,” she said.