TABUK CITY – Entrepreneurs who joined this year’s P.A.T.A.W.I.D. Trade and Industry Fair, a traditional activity during Tabuk foundation day celebrations, generated a total sales of P 4,128,191.00 compared to last year’s P3.9 million.
Trade and Industry Specialist Aurora Sanet of the Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office reports that P336,594.00 came from the ornamental sector, P793,149.00 from the Gift and Holiday Decors/handicrafts and wearable sector, P728,658.00 from the processed food industries, P1,582,200.00 from the furniture sector and P687,590.00 from the other exhibitors.
From the 101 participating exhibitors this year, 25 she are from others areas to include Ifugao (20), Nueva Ecija (2), Tarlac (1), Baguio City (1), and Metro Manila (1).
P.A.T.A.W.I.D. which stands for Promotion and Advancement of Tabuk Agricultural Wealth and Industries Development was launched in 1998 during the term of then Municipal Mayor Basilio Wandag.
According to Melvin Banggolay, who coined the PATAWID, the project was then known as ‘T.A.W.I.D.’ in 1998, the P.A. later on was added in 1999.
The trade fair which is also the local term for legacy was conceptualized to institutionalize the activity as a regular event of the Tabuk Festival aiming to develop all resources of the then municipality, and promote its agri-industries locally and internationally to develop, sustain and transfer this legacy through the generations to come, he said.
Meanwhile, sans the usual contested activities, the DTI in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the city government launched the “Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan” Jobs and Business fair in support to the national government’s goal of generating 7.5 million jobs by 2022 to keep unemployment rate to 5 percent or lower.
Sanet said the first component of the project which is ‘trabaho’ intends to help local entrepreneurs to be more competitive, generating more jobs and empower them to have sustainable businesses. This was conducted in partnership with the City’s Public Employment Service Office through job generation activity.
The ‘negosyo’component offers services in line with the Negosyo Center programs like productdevelopment, business coaching, packaging and labelling, market development and
promotion.
The ‘kabuhayan’ refers to the livelihood components to include trainings of which demonstrations on handicraft making and loom weaving were introduced to walk-in clients during the fair.
By Geraldine G.Dumallig
