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| DTI Region 2 Director Leah Pulido Ocampo as guest speaker during the Opening of the AFI Festival Trade Fair of Tuguegarao City called on the city government to support MSMEs by patronizing local products through an ordinance that would require its departments to procure their requirements from local MSMEs. |
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 2 Director Leah Pulido Ocampo challenged the City Government of Tuguegarao, Cagayan to come up with an ordinance that would require all tourism establishments and government offices to patronize locally produced food and beverages as well as manufactured furniture and decorative items. This was her statement during the opening program of Tuguegarao City’s 295th Patronal Fiesta Trade Fair.
To set the momentum, RD Ocampo pledged that she would be issuing an Office Order that will require DTI Region 2’s Regional Office and Provincial Offices to serve locally produced food and beverages in meetings, seminars, conferences and other office events.
She also called on the local government officials led by Mayor Jefferson Soriano to live up to its brand as the Premier Ybanag City of the North by defining its unique selling proposition that will differentiate it from the rest. “We have to be clear about what we want to be known for, which I believe the City Government and its people would be aware of, more than anyone else,” she said.
Sharing DTI’s vision of realizing a more inclusive and prosperous Philippines, RD Ocampo stressed that light industries like food processing, furniture and handicraft making would increase the value of commodities and by generating additional activities along the value chains, more jobs and livelihood opportunities are generated. “All these will redound to a better economy and a more stable society which could help put an end to the vicious cycle of poverty,” she added.
RD Ocampo also underlined the importance of aligning local strategies to the priorities and policies in the national level as both strategic and practical. The City’s priorities on trade, industry and investment can be aligned whenever practical to the over-all national agenda as defined by the Philippine Development Plan, Philippine Export Development Plan, Investment Promotion Plan and the various Industry Roadmaps.♦
Date of Release: 20 August 2019