Spotlight on Filipino flavors
FROM MAY 19 TO 21, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE and Industry-Center for International Trade Exhibitions and Missions (DTI-CITEM) promises an adventure around the world through food at the 11th International Food Exhibition (IFEX) to be held at the World Trade
The event is the country’s biggest international trade exhibition on the Philippines’ and Asia’s ethnic and specialty food, tropical fruits, vegetables, seafood, beverages, bakery and confectionery products, meat and poultry, Halal-certified products, as well as natural, organic and healthy food products.
It is expected to gather some 700 food firms, manufacturers, exporters, artisans, chefs, culinary experts and gourmet enthusiasts from around the world.
The previous IFEX Philippines,
held in 2015, generated P7.69 billion in business, recording a 99.17 percent buyer satisfaction from 15,000 buyers and visitors. This year, CITEM hopes to bring in even more in sales. IFEX comes on the heels of the 65th edition of Manila FAME, the first major event helmed by CITEM’s new executive director, Clayton Tugonon. “I came in about nine weeks before the show,” he says. “It was a tall order.” Manila FAME served as Tugonon’s baptism of fire, so to speak, with only 68 exhibitors booked when he assumed office. He says he felt a lot of pressure to make his first edition of Manila FAME a success. Thankfully, his colleagues from the furniture industry gave him their support, helping the number of exhibitors reach 300 by the time Manila FAME opened. Tugonon is one of the first CITEM executive directors to have background as a businessman and furniture designer, making him a first-hand expert in the export industry. A member of the groundbreaking Movement 8, Tugonon was part of the earlier editions of Manila FAME as a featured exhibitor. Tugonon is particularly proud of the fashion show that opened the 65th Manila FAME. He was inspired by his first trips to Davao and Abra as executive director of CITEM, where he was able to see the various local textiles. “People were so amazed,” he shares. The fashion show highlighted the natural materials of each region and showcased the unique Filipino ways of weaving. Tugonon was further inspired to bring local textiles into everyday life by incorporating them into the CITEM uniforms. “We will be the first GOCC (Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation) to wear it as a uniform everyday.” With the new uniforms, Tugonon hopes to support the Filipino-made textile industry by creating more demand for their products.
The 11th IFEX is also Tugonon’s first IFEX as executive director, but already he is making major waves in the industry and the event. Because of the success of past editions of IFEX and the clamor from both exhibitors and participants, IFEX, which had been mounted every other year, will now be an annual event. This year’s IFEX features various pavilions that will offer visitors different gastronomic adventures.
The Food Philippines Hall showcases the top and emerging Philippine food export companies to promote the country’s food products and strengthen links with buyers, importers and retailers in the global food market, while the Food Artisans Village offers terroir products and artisanal delicacies from different regions of the Philippines, presented by the Department of Agriculture through its Agribusiness Marketing and Assistance Service. Highlights will be produce from Negros Occidental and the Mindanao region.
These two pavilions will show why the Philippines is the world’s second largest producer of coconut and banana, and the top global producer of pineapple, canned tuna and mango.
Visitors will also get to sample food products and ingredients of leading companies and manufacturers across the globe. The spotlight will be on tastes of the ASEAN, with IFEX being one of the official trade events in the 30th ASEAN Summit.
Tugonon notes that cultural exchange has allowed people from all over the world to become familiar with the Philippines’ delicacies. He is positive that events like IFEX will further strengthen the trade relations between the Philippines and the international market, especially our Asian neighbors.
In celebration of EU Month, IFEX also showcases premium selections from European countries with the aim to give the EU an opportunity to penetrate the Asian market and to further boost its position as the Philippines’ fourth largest trading partner.
Since CITEM is known for supporting new ideas, the Food Innovation Gallery will show a rich array of innovative food product prototypes developed from indigenous raw materials by the Food Innovation Centers (FICs) of the Department of Science and Technology using DOST-developed and locally-fabricated food process equipment.
The FICs were established nationwide as support to local micro, small and medium enterprises to help them move up the value chain and boost their productivity towards global competitiveness.
Another multi-million dollar market that Tugonon is prioritizing is the halal food market. Together with the Philippine Halal Board, IFEX will host a Halal Pavilion to evaluate the export competitiveness of halal-certified Philippine products in the international market and spread awareness of the availability, quality and integrity of Philippine halal products to help cement the Philippines’ position as an international halal processing and manufacturing hub.
It’s payback time,” Tugonon says on taking on his new role as executive director of CITEM. He continues to approach the new post with an entrepreneur’s mind. “I will sell the Philippines as a destination for food, furniture, ecotourism – everything,” he says, noting that bringing investors to the country, whether big companies or individuals, will benefit Filipinos from all industries.
As for his future plans for CITEM, Tugonon is looking forward to his next major event – the 66th Manila FAME in October, which he promises will be even bigger than before. While he cannot disclose the surprises that are in the works, Tugonon says, “Watch out for it. You’ll be proud to be a Filipino.”