Central Luzon Likha 2007 sales nearly double - DTI

The Likha ng Central Luzon (LCL) 2007 held last October 3-7 at the SM Mega Mall in Mandaluyong City generated a total sales of Php48.994M - a 93.41% increase from the 2006 sales of Php25.332M.

This was announced by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led by Regional Director Blesila A. Lantayona in a post-activity report it sent to partner agencies and other concerned sectors.

Lantayona said that 143 companies from Central Luzon's seven provinces participated in LCL 2007, higher than 2006's 136 companies and the highest number of participants since the trade fair's inception in 1999.

Pampanga, according to Lantayona, registered the highest increase in the number of participants, from 29 in 2006 to 42 in 2007. Bulacan was second, from 37 participants in 2006, it had 40 in 2007.

It was learned from Lantayona that in terms of sales per province, however, Nueva Ecija recorded the highest sales accounting for 55% of the overall sales. It was followed by Pampanga and Bulacan with 17% and 15% shares, respectively.

In terms of cash and booked sales, Nueva Ecija also bested the other provinces, accounting for 53.36% of this year's total cash and booked sales of Php15.154M. This was followed by Bulacan and Pampanga with 19.62% and 16.48% shares, respectively.

In terms of sales performance per sector, it was the Gifts and Holiday Decors (GHD) which had the highest sales, absorbing 46.59% of the total sales, followed by the Processed Food sector with 26.25% share.

Lantayona disclosed that the top three sellers, based on cash and booked sales, all came from the province of Nueva Ecija and all came from the GHD sector, namely Casamoda Handicraft, Lualhati Enterprises, and Jess Lyn Marie Marketing.

Winners of the Best Booth contest were also recognized, namely Tender Touch Enterprises of Zambales-GHD, Catillejos Agri Farms Inc. of Zambales-Processed Food, JessLyn Marie Marketing of Nueva Ecija-Home Furnishings, and R-Teh Hand Craft Products of Aurora-Wearables.

Last year's LCL had for its theme "Natatanging Produkto, Ipagmalaki sa Buong Mundo" and it highlighted the One Town, One Product (OTOP) program. Out of 143 exhibitors, 63 or 44.06% are OTOP producers, with Bulacan and Pampanga having the biggest number of OTOP exhibitors at 22 and 13 respectively.

Among the OTOP exhibitors, the processed food and wearable sectors had the most number with 27 and 21, respectively.

Total sales generated by the OTOP exhibitors amounted to Php8.378M accounting for 17.13% of the LCL total sales for 2007.

Among the provinces, the DTI said, the OTOP of Bulacan registered the highest sales of Php4.079M or 48.69% of total OTOP sales. This was followed by Pampanga and Nueva Ecija with 22.20% and 13.28% shares respectively.

According to the DTI, around 100 regular and new buyers visited LCL 2007. Many of these buyers, it was learned, are the permanent and serious ones that placed their orders and have established long standing relationship with the producers.

In addition to this, based on ticket sales, there were around 12,000 walk-in buyers who came to the fair and bought/ordered products from the exhibitors.

The success of the LCL 2007, Lantayona said, is due to the efforts of the DTI and its partners Philexport 3, the Regional Development Council (RDC) through the LCL inter-agency technical working group composed of the Departments of Science and Technology (DOST), Agriculture (DA), Agrarian Reform (DAR), Tourism (DOT), Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the local government units (LGUs) of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. (by Eloisa P. Galang - PIA-Pampanga)