OPPORTUNITIESABOUNDFORFOODPRODUCERS INTHEPHILIPPINES' CARAGAREGION
FromCaragatotheworld
PROMOTIONAL
FEATURE
Thepasalubong industry isan integral part
of tourism,withevery townboastingunique
food specialties—and in theCaragaRegion,
theprocessed food industry is thriving.
Following their bigbreakat the International
FoodExhibitionPhilippines in2005, 17
Caragaproducersboldlyentered theexport
arena featuring the region’s finest food
products. This resulted in theestablishment
ofCReATEFood (CaragaRegional
Associationof TradersandEntrepreneurs in
Food).
Through tie-upswithgovernment
agencies, CReATEFoodhasbecome the
consolidator ofCaraga-madegoods,
assistingproducers toenhance their
capability, financesand logistics, product
development andmarketing through
trainingprogramsandworkshops. And
their passion for excellencehasn’t been
invain. ThroughCReATEFood, theCaraga
Regionachieved theBestEmerging
RegionalClusterAward2007andhasbeen
recognizedasoneof theTopFive Industry
ClusterModelsof theNationalCluster
Management Teamunder theExport
DevelopmentCouncil.
CReATEFoodhasalsoestablishedOTOP
(OneTown,OneProduct) Pasalubong
Centersat theGaisanoMall andRobinsons
Place inButuanCity. TheDepartment of Trade
and Industry (DTI), through theBureauof
DomesticTradePromotion, selected these two
ButuanOTOPoutlets to receivecapability-
buildingandpromotional assistanceunder
theOTOPTindahangPinoyproject for
entrepreneurs tomake them themodel of
thenext breedofOTOP stores. These shops
showcaseCaragaproductswithglobal appeal,
suchasprocessed foodandbeverages from
AgusandelNorte, organicgoods fromAgusan
del Sur, agsam fashionaccessories from
Surigaodel Sur, processedmarineproducts
fromSurigaodelNorte, andhandicrafts from
the islandprovinceofDinagat.
