Furniture exporters strive to cope with weak market

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu furniture makers, through the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF), are bent on making every effort to survive the fragile world market by participating in prominent exhibitions such as the upcoming Manila FAME International trade show on Oct. 15 to 18 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

“We’re not going to let current market conditions bring us down. We admit that things are very difficult, but we will suffer more if we just sit around and not do anything,” CFIF president Angela Figueroa-Paulin said.

Eleven members of the CFIF will participate in the upcoming Manila FAME International, a biannual show for home and lifestyle products.

CFIF considers the Manila FAME, also known as Asia’s Best Design Destination, as a perfect opportunity to tell the world that despite the global economic slowdown, the furniture and furnishings industry continues to develop highly creative and world-class products.

Manila FAME also serves as a sneak preview to CEBUNEXT, the Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition, organized by CFIF. CFIF had renamed the show, which has been known for 21 years as CebuX, to signify pursuit of new goals, products and markets.

“Our decision to reinvent the Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition to CEBUNEXT from CebuX is another strategy to grab bigger international attention. Market trends are moving toward sustainability, earth-friendly products and processes—and CEBUNEXT will show that Philippine furniture and furnishings designers and manufacturers lead in innovation and creativity to come up with green products,” said Figueroa-Paulin, explaining changes in the Cebu show.

Aside from furniture and furnishings, Manila FAME International will feature arts and crafts; bed, bath and linen; gift items; houseware; fashion, and; garden accessories, among others.

The 11 CFIF members that will each put up a booth at the Manila FAME are: Accessoria Inc., APY Cane Inc., Coast Pacific Manufacturing Corp., Detalia Aurora, JLQ International Inc., Lauralee, Lenbert Manufacturing Inc., Okiberry Ventures Corp., Paragon Export, Skyshine and Stonesets International Inc.

CFIF’s participation in Manila FAME is partly subsidized and supported by the Export Development Council (EDC) under the Export Support Fund (ESF).

Earlier, the Department of Trade and Industry undersecretary Thomas Aquino expressed confidence for the industry’s sustained growth, especially in the home furnishing, saying the recession in the US has “bottomed out”.

Aquino lauded Cebu’s resiliency in fighting the ugly effects of the US recession to the export sector.

“Despite the crisis, Cebu exporters have grown to be even more innovative in their designs (and) we are excited to see how Cebu’s export industry will perform next year especially with the recovery of the US market,” he said. (FREEMAN NEWS)