KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 12 showcases products from South Cotabato’s budding enterprises at its Bugal South Cotabato Fair, in celebration of the Tnalak Festival, the foundation anniversary of the province.

The fair, mounted at the Mall of Ace Centerpoint in Koronadal City, is organized by the agency’s South Cotabato Provincial Office and features 28 of its assisted food and non-food producing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Participating MSMEs for the 9-day fair are those who have undergone strenuous interventions by DTI under the One Town, One Product (OTOP) program to improve product quality, packaging, and branding to make their products ready for market promotion.

Flora Politud-Gabunales, Regional Director of DTI-12, in her message read during the opening program on Wednesday, July 10, said that the fair is the culmination of the intervention given by the agency to assist the MSMEs in improving their competencies and their products.

“The culmination of our rigorous MSME interventions is through the conduct of product-selling events, where we proudly showcase and market-test their products. The celebration of the Tnalak Festival is a perfect opportunity to showcase the ‘bugal’ or pride of South Cotabato,” said Politud-Gabunales.

The name of the fair, Bugal South Cotabato, was coined from the Hiligaynon word “bugal,” which means pride, hence “Pride of South Cotabato.” Hiligaynon is the lingua franca of South Cotabato, with a significant portion of residents being offspring of settlers from the Visayas.

Politud-Gabunales also encouraged the MSMEs to avail themselves of the agency’s assistance, saying, “To our participating MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs who have displayed their products in our selling pavilion, please continue to allow DTI to be your steadfast partner in your entrepreneurial journey. Seize this opportunity to learn and be inspired by those entrepreneurs who have grown their businesses and successfully launched their products with the help of DTI and our partners.”

During the fair’s opening, DTI also launched a newly developed coconut pickled product in partnership with Sox Food Manufacturing, a coconut sugar processing firm in the province.

Under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) Program implemented by DTI, Sox Food Manufacturing was linked by the agency to Tablu Women’s Association in Tampakan, South Cotabato to become its partner contract manufacturer for the pickled coconut, bearing the market brand Sox Food Pickled Coconut.

Similarly, DTI’s Shared Service Facility (SSF) on Coconut Sugar Processing in Barangay Palian, Tupi was turned over during the same opening ceremony to its cooperator, the Barangay Local Government Unit of Palian, after it had proven to manage the project well, resulting in a 133% increase in sales and a 200% expansion in the market in just two years of facility use.

One of the mandates of the DTI is the provision of promotion and marketing assistance to MSMEs. This is carried out through the conduct and participation in several trade fairs, market matching sessions, and promotional activities. ♦

Date of release: 11 July 2024