Cebu’s ‘Tindahang Pinoy’ gaining popularity with increased sales
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, March 16 (PIA) -- Cebu’s ‘Tindahang PInoy’ (TP) is gaining popularity as a one-stop shop for souvenir items and ‘pasalubong’ goods as more and more foreign and domestic tourists as well as local residents visit the store.
Engr. Ramir Bonghanoy, president of the Cebu Gifts, Toys and Home Decors (GTH) Foundation that is responsible for the store’s operations bared that sales are increasing every month since it had its soft launching last December 5.
“Initially, we registered P120,000 in sales last December which increased to P200,000 last January. Last month, we recorded P300,000 sales increase,” Bonghanoy said.
Pedro Sepulveda, vice-president of GTH Fndn., Inc. also said the increase in sales is also attributed to the participation of more proponents displaying their products at the store.
“In the beginning, there were only 25 proponents which, grew to 42 at present,” Sepulveda declared.
Bonghanoy credited the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for its huge help in promoting the shop. “Sometimes, in a day we have sales that reach between P40,000 to P100,000 alone just by one large group,” Bonghanoy said.
TP, a priority project of the DTI aims to help exporters tap the domestic market amid the global export market slowdown due to the global crisis.
Cebu GTH received P1 million from the DTI for preparatory set-up of the TP.
At first, the TP was envisioned to display world-class export goods for domestic and foreign tourists as well as balikbayans. But now, even locally-produced products are found at the store where tourists could buy their ‘pasalubong.’
DTI -7 Regional Director Asteria Caberte said through the TP, the locally-produced goods of certain municipalities in Cebu that they are popular of are given a venue to display their products at the shop.
“The TP also promotes the DTI’s other priority program which is the OTOP (One Town, One Product)” which promotes the popular goods or services of respective municipalities, according to Caberte.
Caberte said the DTI wants to provide access to markets for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which is the main concept behind the Tindahang PInoy.
There are three existing TP nationwide. Aside from Cebu, it is found in Davao and Clark as Caberte said there are plans to put up more TP throughout the country. (PIA-Cebu)