THE recently concluded 5th Negosyo Agraryo Trade Fair participated by 40 agrarian reform beneficiaries with the assistance from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Eastern Visayas, gained sales exceeding the P3 million target, the agency said over the weekend.
“We are not just selling goods, but we are engineering economic freedom for our CARPreneurs. When CARPreneurs succeed, the whole community rises,” said DTI-CARP Project Manager Ferdinand Aparri during the event on June 26-29, 2026 at the Robinsons Place, Tacloban City.
Top trade exhibit sellers were Mother Ignacia Women’s Association (Miwa) Producers Cooperative and Naty’s Antique Furniture.
Miwa, an association of women from Llorente, Eastern Samar, produces turmeric powder, salabat, sambong powder, and lemongrass powder.
They were also provided by DTI with machinery through its Shared Service Facility Program, the agency said.
For non-food products, Natividad Golo, owner of Naty’s Antique Furniture, sold several wooden furniture and decorations, including sala sets, corner tables, centerpieces, and wood consoles.
According to the DTI regional office, the success of the trade fair “gave courage to more CARPreneurs in developing their products, meeting institutional buyers and establishing new networks to expand their reach.”
“Since its launch in 2022, the Negosyo Agraryo Trade Fair of DTI-Eastern Visayas has consistently shown an upward trend in generated sales. This can be attributed to the steady improvement in product quality and market reach,” it added.
Meanwhile, the four-day trade exhibit also served as a culminating showcase of DTI's various interventions under the DTI-CARP program.
These include entrepreneurial and skills training, mentorship, product development sessions, machinery under a shared system to increase their productivity, promotion to a bigger market, and access to financial institutions. (Ronald Reyes/VoxPop Philippines)
