At the opening of Manila FAME 2024, products made by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from Pangasinan were showcased once again for the second time.
This was held on October 17-19 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Various products were featured here, such as home furniture, home decorations, and fashion products like bags.
One person who was particularly impressed was First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, who was captivated by a lampshade.
After taking a photo of it, she immediately bought it.
This lampshade was crafted by Mariano Aguinaldo, owner of Aguinaldo Enterprise.
It was made of metal and priced at 22,000 pesos.
Mariano was overjoyed that the First Lady herself purchased his creation.
“You know, if the First Lady didn’t come, it would just be there, right? So, that’s a little boost for the business,” said Mariano Aguinaldo, Owner of the Aguinaldo Enterprise.
Melicio Patague II, Pangasinan Provincial Administrator, exclaimed, “We are very happy. This proves that we made the right decision in participating in Manila FAME because, first of all, the customer here is none other than our beloved First Lady of the Philippines, who, of course, has high standards in choosing products to buy. So, if the First Lady buys your product, that’s something you can proudly claim.”
If you recall, Project Abound, led by Dr. Arlyn Guico, mother of Governor Ramon V. Guico III, was one of the projects that helped the province’s MSMEs participate in Manila FAME 2024.
“When I toured all of Pangasinan, I was surprised. We’re so rich in resources, and our MSMEs are very talented. It’s a shame if others don’t see their products,” Dr. Arlyn Guico, Founder of the Project Abound mentioned.
Currently, these products are being appreciated even in other countries.
According to Jocelyn Ong-Perez, President of the Phil Export Region 1, “So far, I have inquiries from Italy. They have a large store, so we’re just negotiating the price now. He said he would be back. There were a lot of buyers. I was surprised because previously there were buyers, but not in this volume. This time, the volume is quite large.”
The Pangasinan MSMEs’ skills, talent, and dedication have earned the provincial government, under Governor Ramon V. Guico III’s leadership, continued support.
**VALERIE ANN DISMAYA
