Sales generated for this year’s Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition, also known as Cebu X 2013, dropped by 25 percent, the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) revealed yesterday.

While it made $27.4 million last year, a four percent increase from its sales in 2004, it only generated some $20 million this year.

“Before the show, Proclamation 1017 was dec-lared. We hoped it will not affect us but unfortunately, it did,” CFIC president Michael Basubas said in a press conference at Cebu Country Club.

President Arroyo dec-lared a state of national emergency last month in an effort to stop a repo-rted coup attempt against the administration.

Basubas said there were buyers that were in Hong Kong already but deci-ded not to proceed to Cebu to attend the event due to the negative impression created by the declaration.

Attendance

“Buyer attendance also dropped. But still, it would have been better if sales was still up, regardless of the number of attendance,” he said.

Buyers from the Middle East still ranked first in terms of purchase, with $5.4 million this year. How-ever, they purchased $8.9 million worth of products last year.

CFIF executive director Ruby Salutan said they are seriously considering changing the schedule of the Cebu X to March instead of February next year to avoid further negative effects due to the country’s political noises that normally take place in February, when the nation celebrates the anniversary of the Edsa People Power 1. (ALC)