Madam Honeylet Avanceña Graces PH Pavillion Opening at Anuga

Madam Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña (fourth from right) with Ambassador to Germany Dizon-De Vega (third from right), and officials of the Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC)-Berlin, and the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt. (Frankfurt PCG photo)

BERLIN 16 October 2019 — Madam Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña graced the opening of the 180-sqm Philippine pavilion at this year’s Anuga in Cologne, Germany held on 05-09 October 2019. The world’s leading trade fair on food and beverage is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year.

The Philippine pavilion, located at the Fine Food section, housed 19 exhibiting companies and 18 One Town, One Product (OTOP) participants under the Food Philippines banner. Among the Philippine products featured were top exports like tuna, banana, coconut, and mango products, as well as newer favorites like turmeric and malunggay.

The exhibiting companies and participants were accompanied by officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which spearheaded the Philippine participation in the fair through its Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC)-Berlin. Aside from the exhibitors, an outbound business matching mission was put together by DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau, with 13 participating companies.

Madam Avanceña attended the fair’s official opening by German Minister for Food and Agriculture Julia Klöckner, along with Vice President Hogo Velázquez and Trade Minister Liz Cramer of the Republic of Paraguay, this year’s Anuga partner country.

Madam Avanceña was accompanied by Undersecretary Jhopee Agustin from the Office of the President, and by Trade and Industry Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman, Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga, CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan, and DTI Regional Directors Sitti Jain and Marilou Toledo. Ambassador to Germany Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Commercial Counselor Althea Antonio, and Vice Consul Alvin Malasig joined them from the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, along with Deputy Consul General Emil Fernandez from the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt.

At the Philippine pavilion opening, Madam Avanceña delivered inspirational remarks before the Philippine exhibitors, encouraging them to continue improving their businesses and seeking new markets, drawing on her own experiences as a businesswoman. As a believer that entrepreneurship can transform lives and communities, she also requested the more established food companies to help mentor fledgling entrepreneurs.

Anuga has ten different segments: Fine Food, Drinks, Chilled and Fresh Food, Meat, Frozen Food, Dairy, Bready and Bakery, Hot Beverages, Organic, and Culinary Concepts.

Preliminary figures pegged the total number of exhibitors this year at 7,590, with 6,852 of them from overseas. END

Madam Avanceña encourages the Philippine entrepreneurs exhibiting at the fair in her remarks. (Berlin PE photo)

Madam Avanceña makes the rounds of the Philippine pavilion. (Berlin PE photo)

For more information, visit  https://www.berlinpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.de or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGermany.