DTI wants to double int’l promotion budget

The Department of Trade and Industry. (PNA photo)

MANILA, July 31 — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) wants to double its budget for international promotion in order to get bigger spaces for its products and services in international fairs and exhibits.

“If you want to project the good products of the Philippines, lets fund the marketing,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters.

Lopez said that DTI’s budget for international promotion was over PHP100 million to PHP200 million, and the agency aims to double the amount for next year.

“[It’s for] the exhibits we do outside for better awareness of Filipino products. We have a small budget there. If you go outside, our display booth is small — about two meters by three meters — while the other countries have island display. When you say island display, easily 30 square meters [by] 40 square meter, that’s bigger booth, so we are dwarfed. So, that’s also our representation [in international exhibits],” he said in Filipino.

He added that doubling the budget for international promotion aims to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to bring their products for marketing abroad.

“So it’s not really for government.

The ones benefiting are the MSMEs wanting to exhibit their products there,” the DTI chief noted.

Lopez also said that international fairs and exhibits opened opportunities for Filipino products and services for global buyers, investors, or bring them in international markets.