The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) export promotions arm, caps an outstanding 2022. In the past year, CITEM successfully promoted the country as a reliable source of quality export products and services in the global market.
The agency did this by launching and participating in game-changing events such as the Creative Futures 2022, which celebrated Filipino talent and reiterated the economic viability of the local creative industries. Held in July, the event promoted the country’s creative sectors to potential clients worldwide.
CITEM also made sustainable solutions available for Filipino entrepreneurs through its newest signature brand, Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX). Held in March, the trade event and conference encompassed a multichannel approach to sustainable development—a brand with a global panel, an online platform to connect businesses to vetted sustainable suppliers both locally and abroad, and support programs that help facilitate the transition to sustainable processes for micro, small, and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs).
Most recently, CITEM launched the Spring/Summer 2022 collection of homeware and furniture on Maison & Objet and More (MOM). This is in preparation for Maison et Objet, a highly-anticipated interior design trade fair held bi-annually in Paris, which will be held in early 2023.
The aim is to transform natural materials such as rattan, abaca, and wood into export-quality crafts that uplift Filipino pride, as well as the lives of the artisans and their communities. Materials, culture, and heritage are center stage in featured local products.
New executive director
To cap off the year, CITEM welcomed its new executive director, Dr. Edward L. Fereira, Ph.D. He enters the country’s trade promotions industry bringing with him three decades of experience in the fields of science, business management, marketing, diplomacy, and now government service.
In 2018, Fereira was appointed as the Special Envoy of the President of the Philippines to the Republic of Kazakhstan. He also served as the First Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Philippines from 2004 to 2011.
The new executive director was also a former President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), the country’s biggest business and management organization composed of top business luminaries. His stint in MAP became his springboard to diplomacy as he led
and chaired various private and government trade missions to different countries.
Fereira’s government career includes leadership roles at the National Development Corporation (NDC), Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), First Cavite Industrial Estate (FCIE), Manila Gas, and Land Bank Realty Development Corporation (LBRDC) among others.
With Fereira’s appointment, CITEM is committed to developing, nurturing, and promoting globally-competitive small and medium enterprises (SMEs), exporters, designers, and manufacturers by implementing an Integrated Approach to Export Marketing in partnership with other government and private entities.
For three decades, CITEM has established the country’s image as the premier destination for quality export products and services. It continues to set the highest standards of creativity, excellence, and innovation to achieve export competitiveness in the international market.