The Mindanao Trade Expo 2018 kicked off this year highlighting new designs and products from startup entrepreneurs.
“I am excited to see a lot of new faces, especially those who have just launched their business. That is the beauty of being a startup for bringing in so much potential that is just waiting to be unleashed,” Rosevic Del Rosario-Cembrano, president and chairman of the Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation, Inc. (MTEFI), said in her speech during the opening of the expo on Aug. 11.
She also added that the MTEFI’s main reason in making a commitment to organize the annual event despite the many challenges is to “provide a window of opportunity all (entrepreneurs’) products but more importantly to allow (entrepreneurs) to achieve full potential.
This year’s expo, the MTEFI is hoping to generate at least P20 million in sales.
Gracing the opening event are prominent people in the trade industry, local government officials, and international delegates.
These include Mayor Sara Duterte; Berlian Napitupulu, consul general of Indonesia; Maria Belenda Ambi, Department of Trade and Industry XI regional director; Apolinar Aure of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport); Luigi Escano, Abreeza Mall general manager; Councilor Ma. Belen Acosta, among others.
Duterte, in her speech, said, “I want to commend the MTEFI for annually providing our MSMEs a platform to showcase authentic merchandise.”
“I call all davaoenos to support this years’ Mindanao Trade Expo, a showcase of indigenous Mindanao ingenuity and creativity,” the mayor added.
“It’s been so long since we’ve partnered with MTEFI in putting up this platform where MSMEs can really showcase their products, talents, ingenuity, and creativity. I am happy to see new products, new enterprises,” said Ambi.
The annual event has been ongoing for more than 23 years, continuing its mission to support medium, small, micro enterprises (MSMEs).
The MTE is joined not only by city-based entrepreneurs but also those from outside, including Bohol, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao entrepreneurs.
