PHL fruit wines featured in Macau food fair

Philippine tropical fruit wines and processed food items were featured in a recent trade fair in Macau, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. The Philippine Consulate General in Macau said the 16th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair was held Oct. 20 to 23 at the Venetian-Macau Hotel and Resort. "Interest from private enterprises and the public was generally strong, particularly on tropical fruit wines and processed food items. Most product inquiries came from distributors from Macau, mainland China and Japan," the embassy said. The other Philippine products featured at the fair included fresh and processed seafood, fruit juices, spreads, herbal health supplements, pili nuts, dried mangoes, herbal teas, and other food items. A 30-member Philippine delegation participated in the fair this year. The Department of Agriculture (DA) gathered 15 small and medium enterprises (SME's) for the event. In the same event, the Consulate put up its own booth at the ASEAN Pavilion where traditional Philippine foods like empanada, polvoron and candied fruits were served to visitors. The Consulate's booth also displayed Filipino items like Philippine dolls, miniature jeepneys, and small items made of abaca. It also promoted the Philippines as a tourist destination through distribution of maps and brochures featuring major tourist attractions of the country. The DFA cited figures from the organizer indicating the fair had 95,000 visitors, a 17-percent increase from last year's 18,000 visitors. It was also able to generate five billion Macanese pataca (MOP) worth of deals, an increase of 25 percent from the previous year. The fair had also been expanded by 18 percent, with some 850 local and international exhibitors from more than 60 countries. - VVP, GMA News