The Propak Processing and Packaging Technology Event for Asia was held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exposition Center (BITEC) in Bangkok, Thailand on June 13-16, 2018 where 106 delegations came from Northern Mindanao and are assisted by DTI-Region 10. All of the Region 10 delegates were housed at the Hotel Galleria 12 in Bangkok, Asok, Sukhumvit, Thailand.
During the preparation period, the component activities done by the representatives of DTI Region 10 were the following: (1) campaigns for participation which started on March 2018, (2) confirmation of participants, (3) passport application assistance for delegates with no passports, (4) ensure flight schedules of each participant, (5) collection of registration fees (6) facilitation of deposits of registration fees, (7) constant RO-PO coordination, (8) briefing and giving of pre-departure updates, (9) updating of itineraries, (10) and dissemination of general advisories to delegates.
Upon arrival at Bangkok, Thailand assistance rendered to delegates include (1) arrangement of hotel rooms, (2) arrangement of participants and schedules of benchmarking sessions, (3) monitoring on the whereabouts of delegates while in Bangkok to ensure that itineraries were fully attended and, (4) the facilitation for the attendance sheet of all of the participants.
Aside from the packaging expo at BITEC, one of the important benchmarking activities conducted was the Thailand OTOP Midyear Exhibit 2018 held at the Impact Arena Exhibition and Convention Center in Muang Thong Thani, Thailand on June 14, 2018.
The exhibit showcased successful One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) brand of products. Both food and non-food products were displayed at a 60,000 sqm arena with a total of over 2,000 exhibitors. The stalls were well arranged according to product focus and observed to be patronize by their local residents.
On June 15, 2018, another equally-relevant bench marking activity conducted was the group visit to the Organic Mulberry Tea Processing Facility and the Siam Banana Processing Factory both located at the Kanchanaburi, Thailand. In both activities, the owner shared the success stories and best practices of the business in mainstreaming local and international markets of their products. We were also able to learn the nutritive values and benefits of the mulberry tree. Kanchanaburi Town is located 128kms to west of Bangkok.
Still in the town of Kanchanaburi, Thailand, the participants were also exposed to the tourism aspect of the activity through a very quick tour at the historic Bridge of the River Kwai. The history and culture were still intact as observed in the number of tourists visiting this destination. (zmabillare/stids-cambdd)♦
Date of release: 9 July 2018