CEBU CITY — Furniture makers here try to stay upbeat as Cebu X international furniture show opens today amid a smaller number of exhibitors and buyers.

Eric Vincent Casas, president of exhibit organizer Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, shrugged off the lower figures. There may be fewer buyers, he said, but those who are here “must be really serious buyers because they came despite the very challenging times.”

“A [furniture] manufacturer doesn’t really need many buyers. We can have 1,500 buyers [sic], but this won’t matter if they don’t place any order. We are optimistic that those who came are really serious buyers.”

Cebu X, which will run until March 8 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, has only 56 exhibitors this year, compared to 85 last year. There are less than 200 pre-registered buyers, about 30% less than last year. The show used to attract up to 2,000 pre-registered and walk-in buyers.

Cebu’s furniture sector, composed of about 300 manufacturers, comprises about 20% of the Philippine furniture industry but accounts for about 40% of total furniture sales. More than 60% of Cebu’s furniture exports go to the US, though Mr. Casas admitted they do not expect big furniture wholesalers from the US in this year’s fair. — Marites S. Villamor

Source : http://www.bworldonline.com/